The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday directed the State to produce complete medical records of the treatment administered to an anganwadi worker in Ramanathapuram district. The family of the woman has alleged that wrong treatment led to her death.

The court was hearing a petition filed by K. Muniyasamy of Palkarai. The petitioner said his wife Tamilselvi, 35, was the sole earning member of the family. He sought an inquiry into the treatment administered to her.

Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy said the petition arose out of the death of the petitioner’s wife who was admitted to Government Ramanathapuram Medical College Hospital for a surgical procedure for deviated nasal septum.

According to the petitioner, she was taken into the operation theatre at around 9 a.m. on May 21. However, at around 2 p.m., she was brought out in an unconscious state. She remained in coma. She was continuously treated in the Intensive Care Unit, but never regained her consciousness, and died on June 16.

The counsel for the petitioner submitted that neither adequate information nor her medical records and treatment details had been furnished. It was contended that the postmortem appeared to have been conducted without obtaining the petitioner’s consent.

The State submitted that the postmortem was conducted after due intimation to police. The preliminary report, dated June 17, was submitted. All medical records relating to the petitioner’s wife would be duly indexed and produced before the court and copies would be furnished to the petitioner, it was submitted.

The petitioner sought appointment of an independent medical board to examine the medical procedures undertaken, scrutinise relevant records, conduct an inquiry into the treatment administered to his wife; production of medical records; and preservation of CCTV footage pertaining to the operation theatre.

The court directed the State to file a counter affidavit and produce the medical records. The copies should be furnished to the petitioner and his counsel. The court, taking into account the fact that the petitioner had not yet received his wife’s body, asked him to receive it and perform the last rites as per the family custom and practice.

The question of appointment of an independent medical board and the grant of interim or final compensation would be decided after the authorities placed their version on record, the court said, and posted the matter for hearing to July 8.