TN govt told to pay compensation for girl's death

Chennai: The Madras High Court directed the Tamil Nadu government to pay Rs 500,000 as compensation to the family of a 13-year-old girl who died in 2006 due to medical negligence by three doctors at a government hospital. "This is an unfortunate case of medical negligence which has resulted in the loss of a precious life of a young girl, hardly aged 13 years," Justice Nagamuthu said, while underlining that the fundamental right to life was at the heart of the Constitution. The prosecution case was that Sudhasini was brought to the hospital in July 2006 with stomach pain and diarrhea. There were three doctors on duty, one of whom attended on her and diagnosed it as amoebic diarrhea. The girl, however, breathed her last a few hours later.