CHENNAI: A 23-year-old man from Somangalam died within three hours of being admitted to Tambaram District Government Hospital for fever on Tuesday evening. His family has claimed medical negligence and filed a complaint with the Somangalam police. 

The deceased, Parthasarathy, was a resident of Pillaiyar Koil Street in Melathur in Somangalam. He was an office assistant at a private college in the locality.

Police said Parthasarathy was suffering from a high fever for the past few days and receiving treatment at a private hospital. The blood test indicated signs of dengue fever. Following that, he was admitted to Tambaram District GH at around 6 pm on Tuesday.

However, he was declared dead at around 8.30 pm, leaving his family and relatives in shock. His brother and relatives subsequently filed a complaint at Somangalam police station, seeking appropriate action.

Hospital authorities said that Parthasarathy had been diagnosed with an ordinary fever and that the exact cause of his death could be established only after an autopsy. According to the hospital, his platelet count was reportedly 83,000 at the private hospital. However, tests conducted after his admission to the GH showed a platelet count of 1.3 lakh. So he was treated for an ordinary fever.

He suddenly lost consciousness while undergoing treatment and was placed on ventilator support. Despite the efforts, he died. The hospital has initiated arrangements for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.