Protest continues for second day at Govt Hospital

Chennai, June 30 (UNI) Tension prevailed at Government General Hospital here today for the second day as a section of students of the Government Physiotherapy College continued their slogan-shouting demonstration in front of the Dean's office, protesting against the death of a student last evening after surgery on Tuesday last.

Official sources said the student Murugesan (21), of Tenkasi in Tirunelveli District, studying II year physiotherapy, had already undergone surgery on his nose thrice. He was hospitalised on Tuesday last and the doctors operated again on his nose to remove a boil.

However, he did not recover conciousness after the surgery. He went into a coma yesterday morning and was kept in the ICU ward.

The agitated students told reporters the surgical procedure was wrong and instead of senior surgeons, the authorities allowed post-graduate medical students to perform the surgery, leading to Murugesan's death.

They demanded suitable compensation to the family of the deceased student, action against erring medical officers and others and free transportion for the transportation of the student's body to his native village. They held negotiations with Mrs Kalavathi Ponniraivan Dean of the college.

After consulting higher authorities, the Dean assured the agitated students that she would recommend to the government to provide suitable compensation, and promised free transportation of the body.

She also told the students that she had already constituted a high level committee to look into the whole process of the surgery and subsequent developments and would take suitable action after the committee submitted its report.

Later, the family of the deceased student received his body.

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