Tamil Nadu Health and Family Welfare Minister Ma Subramanian, said that action would be taken against the two doctors allegedly responsible for the death of 18-year-old footballer R Priya, as soon as the medical inquiry report was submitted to the state government. Speaking to the media on Wednesday, November 16, he said that the two doctors had been suspended based on the initial report by the medical inquiry committee and the final report would be submitted in two days. The Minister hit back at the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president K Annamalai’s claim that the Health Department “was crumbling” in the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (DMK) rule.
“The BJP is trying to politicise the issue. I do not wish to respond to it. Recently, when a bridge collapsed in Gujarat, more than 150 people died. The contractor who built the bridge said in court that it was “divine fate.” We will not try to escape responsibility in that manner. We have said upfront that Priya’s death was due to medical neglect. Based on that, doctors have been suspended. We have also given assurance that further professional and legal action will be taken. Whatever the truth is, we will announce it to the world.” When asked if an FIR had been registered against the two doctors, he replied, “We need to be patient and see what happens in the following days.”
On Tuesday, November 15, R Priya died from multiple organ failure due to botched surgeries and alleged medical negligence at the Periyar Nagar Government Peripheral Hospital where she was treated before being moved to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH). She passed away at 7:15 am at RGGGH.
Ma Subramanian, while briefing the media on Tuesday, following Priya’s death had said that on November 7, Priya underwent surgery for a ligament tear on her right knee at the Periyar Nagar government hospital. When Priya complained of pain in both legs following this surgery, a tight compression band was prescribed. Ma Subramanian had said that due to lack of attention from the doctors, the compression bandage used on Priya after she underwent a procedure called arthroscopy was too tight. It affected the blood flow, causing the veins to decay. She was shifted to RGGGH on November 8 because of the pain and other complications. Priya had a follow-up surgery on November 14 and remained on a ventilator until she died the following morning.
“The medical department should have no flaws. There are about 20,000 doctors. Among them, the apathy of two or three doctors led to mistakes [Priya’s death]. We have asked that not even these mistakes should happen anymore,” the Minister had remarked.