PUDUKKOTTAI: The CMO of the Aranthangi Government Hospital on Sunday issued memos to a few hospital staff after a patient alleged medical negligence. Sustaining injuries on his right leg after a road accident near Vellore Koil on Friday, N Mathivanan, 53, who works in a salon in Aranthangi, sought treatment at the Aranthangi Government Hospital in Pudukkottai.
After getting the wounds cleaned and stitched, Mathivanan left the hospital. However, with the affected leg developing pain despite treatment, he consulted a private hospital in Aranthangi on Saturday. X-rays taken there revealed stones inside the leg, near to the wounded patch, Mathivanan said, and alleged the general hospital in Aranthangi of negligence for stitching the wound without removing the stones.
"The private hospital staff told me that the stones may affect the entire leg if not removed in time," Mathivanan said. Subsequently, all the stones were successfully taken out from the leg, sources said. The news about the incident swiftly spread across the locality, leading to public outrage, sources said.
Mathivanan, who is yet to be discharged from the private hospital, has sought compensation from the general hospital. Condemning the incident, the district secretary of Pudukkottai's CPM wing, Kavi Varman, said, "Aranthangi Government Hospital is functioning with a shortage of staff and most of those employed are working on temporary basis.
The infrastructure and staff should be strengthened to avoid such issues in the future." When contacted by TNIE, Sekar, The CMO of the general hospital, said, "An inquiry is going on in regard to the incident and I have issued memos to the staff who treated the patient."
On the alleged shortage of staff at the hospital, an official from the district health department said, "We have not heard of such a problem in the hospital so far. However, we have sought explanation from the hospital authorities."