Woman dies, kin lodge complaint against pvt. clinic

The 23-year-old had been admitted to a private fertility clinic and then taken to a hospital in Vadapalani where she was declared ‘brought dead’.

A 23-year-old woman, who was taken in an ambulance from a private fertility clinic in Kodambakkam to another private hospital in Vadapalani, was declared dead on arrival by doctors on Saturday night.

On Sunday morning, the parents of the deceased Harinatchi, said they had admitted their daughter to the private clinic on Saturday with complaints over her reproductive health.

“Since the doctor who treats her regularly was unavailable, other medical staff attended to her,” S. Murugesan, Harinatchi’s father said. By Saturday evening, the clinic staff informed Harinatchi’s mother Bagyam that their daughter’s condition was critical and that they had to shift her to a private hospital. She was taken in an ambulance with ventilator support to Vadapalani.

However, her parents and relatives, who had accompanied her, were shocked when doctors at the private hospital in Vadapalani informed them that their daughter had been dead for at least two hours.

The enraged family reportedly rushed back to the private clinic in Kodambakkam. “The clinic had downed it shutters by the time we went back,” Murugesan claimed.

A post mortem on Harinatchi was conducted at Government Royapettah Hospital on Sunday. “This is shocking incident. We are awaiting the post mortem report,” P. Elangovan, a family member said.

Deputy police commissioner (T. Nagar), P. Pakalavan said a case of unnatural death has been registered and a revenue enquiry has been initiated. “A team of doctors will study the case and forensic tests will be conducted,” he said.

Harinatchi was a resident of Selaiyur. Her husband Jaiganesh works in an automobile company.

Family friends remembered Harinatchi as an active girl. “She graduated as an engineer but did not work. She was a very disciplined woman,” Elangovan said.