A 23-year- old woman house surgeon was found lying dead in her hostel room in Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital on Friday morning.
Hospital authorities confirmed that her swabs returned negative for COVID-19.
Since the lockdown has been in force, she came from her house in Perambur and was staying in the hostel from April 14.
On Friday morning, she did not come out from her room nor did she respond to anyone. On information, police personnel from Kilpauk went to the area and broke the door open. She was rushed to the hospital where she was declared brought dead.
"The cause of death is not immediately known and samples have been collected for testing," said a senior police officer. A case was registered by Kilpauk police for unnatural death. Further investigation is on.
Top officials of health department and Dean of Kilpauk Medical College also conducted an inquiry into the death.
According to hospital authorities, she was a CRRI and joined duty on April 18. “She was a day scholar and was residing in Chennai. Due to the lockdown, she was staying in the college hospital. She was posted in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology department and was not on duty in the COVID-19 ward,” an official said.
The student had dinner with her friends and spoke to her parents, who live in Vellore, at about 10 p.m. on Thursday. “As she did not wake up for duty this morning, her friends knocked on the room door. She did not respond, and so, they called the security guard who broke open the door. She was found lying on the bed and her pupils were already dilated,” the official added.
Doctors have lifted swabs for testing for COVID-19. There were no external injuries on her body. “Police are conducting an inquiry. We are conducting a post mortem by putting in place all protective measures. We will wait for the COVID-19 test result, and if negative, the body will be handed over to the family,” a health department official said.
Hospital authorities confirmed that her swabs returned negative for COVID-19. However, postmortem findings were inconclusive, they said.
