Dental clinic’s unsterile practices led to death of 8 in Vaniyambadi: study

Tirupattur Collector orders closure of Vaniyambadi dental clinic due to unsterile practices leading to patient deaths.

Tirupattur Collector K. Sivasoundaravalli on Friday said that a private dental clinic in Vaniyambadi town will be ordered to close down based on a status quo report filed in 2023 by the then Joint Director of Health and Joint Director of Medical and Rural Health Services (JDSS).

The Collector’s action comes in the wake of a study done jointly by CMC Vellore, ICMR-NIE and Tamil Nadu Directorate of Public Health. It shows that unsterile dental practices at the clinic allegedly led to death of eight patients who got treated there in May 2023.

The study say that an unsterile surgical instrument was used to open a saline bottle at the clinic. Reuse of the bottle’s contents had led to at least 10 people contracting neuro melioidosis — a bacterial infection of the brain — which allegedly led to the death of eight patients, who got treated there, the study said.

Speaking to The Hindu, Ms. Sivasoundaravalli said that a four-member health team led by V. Gnana Meenakshi, Tirupattur JDSS, inspected the facility to assess the existing condition and medical procedures followed there. Following this, the team has submitted a status quo report to the Collector.

The team included C. Illavani, senior dentist, Government Taluk Hospital (Tirupattur) and S. Sivasubramani, medical officer, Government Taluk Hospital (Vaniyambadi). “During the inspection, they found that the dental clinic was functioning some distance away from its previous location in the town. I have directed Tirupattur SP [Shreya Gupta] to investigate the cases filed against the clinic,” said Ms. Sivasoundaravalli.

The team also found that the clinic had slightly changed its nomenclature.

“We are also verifying previous medical records and the report filed by the then JDSS, to initiate further action against the clinic,” said Ms. Gnana Meenakshi, incumbent JDSS.