Obese Pondy youth dies after weight loss procedure in city

CHENNAI: A 24-year-old obese man, weighing nearly 150 kilograms and undergoing a weight reduction procedure died of complications developed in a private hospital in Pammal near here on Tuesday.

The deceased was identified as S Hemachandran, a native of neighbouring Puducherry.

Hemachandran, who was undergoing treatment at Jain Hospital, died on Tuesday evening in another hospital, due to a suspected complication in the weight reduction treatment.

In a complaint given at the Shankar Nagar police station, his father and relatives have alleged that the hospital authorities failed to provide proper treatment, leading to his death. Sources said that Hemachandran was looking to reduce his weight considerably from the present nearly 150 kilograms and had been looking for procedures online for weight reduction.

According to the family of Hemachandran, he had approached a hospital in Pallavaram for weight reduction treatment but they had demanded Rs 7 lakh for the procedure. So he went to Jain Hospital in Pammal where the treatment was offered at Rs 4 lakh.

As the charges were less, Hemachandran was admitted to Jain Hospital on April 21 and he underwent the surgery on April 22.

After the procedure, the pulse rate drastically dropped after which he was rushed to a private hospital in Pallavaram. He died there on Tuesday evening. The relatives have gathered at Jain Hospital to file a complaint alleging negligence and seek justice for his death.

Shankar Nagar police said it had received a complaint from the family and issued an acknowledgement. So far no FIR has been registered, sources added.