An FIR has been registered on the Rex Ortho Hospital for alleged medical negligence resulting in death of a 23-year-old engineer.

Engineer Thangaselvan had walked his way to the hospital with pain on his left shoulder and hands following a ligament tear. But the patient did not regain consciousness after the surgery at Rex Hospital. He died at KG Hospital where he was shifted for Intensive Care Treatment.

“The patient was brought in a state of coma and the hospital agreed to provide intensive care on compassionate grounds”, said Chairman of KG Hospital, Dr G Baktavatsalam. While the body has been sent for postmortem, a statement from the Chairman of Rex Hospital Dr C Rex stating that a compensation would be given to the family of the deceased, even before the autopsy report is out, has raised eyebrows.

Earlier during the day, family members of Thangaselvan staged a road roko in front of the hospital alleging wrong treatment. According to T. Thangaraj, father of the deceased the young lad was admitted at the Rex Ortho Hospital near R.S. Puram after he felt pain on his left shoulder and hand on January 18. The hospital officials had suggested an operation as he had sustained a ligament tear.

“The operation was done around 11.00 p.m. in the evening and my son was later shifted to the Intensive Care Unit and was kept there until he was shifted to the KG Hospital,” he said. However, Thangaraj alleged that his son did not regain consciousness after the surgery and remained in a state of coma and doctors from both the hospital failed to revive him. “We were only told on January 21 that my son had passed away as he had failed to respond to further treatments,” he claimed.

Grieved over the loss, family members and friends staged a road roko in front of Rex Ortho Hospital on Friday demanding stern action against the hospital authorities for providing wrong treatment resulting in death.

Reacting to the issue, Dr. C. Rex from the hospital said that the administration would conduct an investigation into the issue and send the report to the Health Department in Chennai. “An inquiry is initiated and we would also be sharing the treatment details; medicine details and the post mortem report with the Health Department,” he told reporters.

He further stated the family of the patient would also be compensated. Meanwhile, the R.S. Puram police has registered an FIR against the hospital authorities under section 174.