17-Year-Old Footballer Priya Passes Away Due To Alleged Medical Negligence

17-year-old footballer R Priya lost her life from multiple organ failure due to alleged medical negligence. She passed away days after undergoing surgery to repair torn ligaments in her right knee.

A week after the initial surgery and two follow-up surgeries later, Priya’s leg had to be amputated. She then died of multiple organ failure at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH).

Two doctors at Periyar Nagar government hospital where Priya had undergone an arthroscopic ligament repair procedure were placed under suspension for medical negligence. The two doctors face action after the teenager had to undergo amputation due to alleged medical negligence.

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Footballer Priya Passes Away At 17

The compression bandage used to control the bleeding following the initial surgery caused issues in her leg’s blood flow. As a result, Priya had to undergo amputation at the RGGGH.

The footballer was a first-year student at Queen Mary’s College in Chennai in the Physical Education department. On October 26, doctors at the Periyar Nagar hospital detected a ligament tear detected on her right knee, the doctors said the ligament would have to be mended through surgery.

The initial surgery was performed at the hospital on November 7 and the same evening, Priya complained about pain in her legs. The doctors at the Periyar Nagar hospital prescribed a tight compression bandage.

Priya was transferred to RGGGH due to a suspected blood clot in her leg. The doctors ran tests and learned that the tissues in her right leg were dead and that only amputation could save her life.

Priya's leg was amputated on November 9 but her condition did not improve. She underwent a second follow-up surgery at RGGGH on November 14 and passed away the next day.

The two doctors at Periyar Nagar hospital were transferred after an enquiry was ordered by the state health department found negligence on their part. They were suspended and the state Health Minister Ma Subramaniam added that legal action would be taken against them.

Subramaniam told reporters that the arthroscopy was done successfully at the hospital, but the compression bandage wrapped on Priya's leg was wrapped too tightly, causing damage to the veins.