In a shocking case of medical negligence, doctors at a district government hospital in Tamil Nadu's Villupuram mistakenly operated on the healthy left knee of a patient who was admitted for a surgical correction of his right knee due to ligament damage.
N. Marimuthu, a private bus conductor, underwent a four-hour surgery on July 4 performed by a medical team led by orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Saravanan. Following the surgery, Marimuthu was moved to the post-operative ward. His wife was the first to notice the error, observing that his left leg was bandaged. Upon regaining consciousness, Marimuthu himself was stunned to discover the medical blunder. He promptly filed a complaint with the hospital authorities.
The district administration has since constituted a four-member probe panel to investigate the incident, which has confirmed the error.
Medical negligence continues to be a significant concern in India. In September 2023, the Madras High Court in Tamil Nadu quashed criminal proceedings against doctors from Arvinth Hospital in Namakkal, stating there was no evidence the doctors lacked the skills to perform the surgery. The case involved a patient who had been admitted due to a motor accident with fractures in his left leg and an injury to his right knee. The patient alleged negligence and inappropriate treatment, also filing a complaint about unpaid fees for emergency surgeries. The court cited the absence of expert medical opinion on the negligence.
In another case from November 2022, a teenage footballer in Tamil Nadu died after a "botched" knee surgery, leading to the suspension of two doctors. Priya R, a first-year college student, underwent arthroscopy to fix a ligament tear. Her condition worsened, and she had to have her right leg amputated. She later died of multi-organ failure. The Tamil Nadu government suspended the two surgeons from Periyar Nagar Government Peripheral Hospital for alleged medical negligence. The health department stated that the compression bandage was too tight, which caused damage to the blood flow.
