The Madras High Court has ordered the Tamil Nadu government to pay ₹7.5 lakh as compensation to the parents of a newborn girl whose thumb was accidentally severed by a staff nurse at a government hospital in Thanjavur in 2021. The ruling was delivered while hearing a petition filed by M. Ganesan, the child’s father.
According to the petitioner, his wife Priyadharshini gave birth to a baby girl in May 2021 at the Thanjavur Government Hospital. A paediatric venflon was inserted into the child’s left hand. However, in June 2021, a staff nurse named Sheela, while carelessly removing the venflon, cut off the infant’s thumb. The child, only 14 days old at the time, permanently lost her thumb due to the mishap.
Ganesan sought court intervention for adequate compensation and further treatment for the child. Initially, the court had granted ₹75,000 as interim relief. Justice S. Srimathy noted that while the method of calculating compensation used in motor accident and workmen’s compensation cases was referenced, it could not be strictly applied here due to the unique circumstances. However, ₹7.5 lakh was deemed fair.
After deducting the interim compensation, the court directed the government to pay the remaining ₹6.75 lakh within 12 weeks. The judge also granted the family liberty to seek plastic surgery for the child at the Government Multi Super Specialty Hospital in Chennai once she turns 12.