S. Seethalakshmi, a 31-year-old woman who was in a coma since March, and whose husband had petitioned the government in May to allow euthanasia for her, died at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital on Monday.
According to hospital officials, Seethalakshmi died after a lung infection led to respiratory failure. She had been there for about seven and a half months. “We gave her general supportive care here. We did our best and round-the-clock care was provided. She died at 4.30 p.m. on Monday,” said a senior hospital official.
Seethalakshmi’s husband, C. Subramanian, a 39-year-old daily wage labourer from Kanyakumari district, said he had received a phone call from the hospital and was on his way to Chennai by bus. Mr. Subramanian had earlier said that his wife had gone into the coma after a botched surgery at a government hospital in Kanyakumari district. He had also sought care for her, as he has two children aged eight and six and had to go back to his hometown to look after them.
Following the petition for euthanasia, then Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had announced the setting up of a special medical team to look into his wife’s care and assistance to the tune of Rs. 5 lakh. Mr. Subramanian said the money was used to pay off medical bills and travel expenses. “I am planning to take my wife’s body back to my hometown,” he said.
