Engineer in coma for 100 days after finger surgery:Family alleges breathing tube error during surgery; hospital claims engineer was a drug addict

What began as a minor road accident in Balaghat has turned into a prolonged battle for survival for 36-year-old Vivek Tirpude. After his scooter skidded on February 10, Vivek suffered a fracture in his hand and was advised to undergo a minor 20-minute surgery that doctors allegedly described as “risk-free”. More than 100 days later, he remains in a coma, while his family alleges medical negligence during the administration of anaesthesia. Police have registered a case against the doctors, and the Madhya Pradesh Medical Council has issued notices to three doctors seeking their responses. After the accident, Vivek returned home on his own, changed clothes and later visited a hospital. An X-ray revealed a fracture in the third metacarpal bone of his hand. Doctors applied a plaster cast but later suggested a minor surgery for quicker recovery. According to the family, they were assured that the procedure involved “zero risk”. The 36-year-old walked into the operation theatre smiling, but never regained consciousness. The family alleges that a tube meant for the windpipe was inserted into the food pipe during the administration of anaesthesia, depriving his brain of oxygen. Since then, Vivek has remained in a coma. The family has taken him from Balaghat to Nagpur and later to a private hospital in Bhopal, spending nearly ₹50 lakh on treatment so far. Bhaskar examined medical records, investigation reports and spoke with family members to understand how a minor fracture escalated into a life-and-death struggle. Mother says she has lost track of days Vivek Tirpude is a civil engineer with a postgraduate degree in Environmental Science and had recently started a chemical material processing company. His father is a retired engineer. His elder brother Amit holds an MTech in Meteorology from IIT Mumbai, while his sister-in-law Diksha is a doctor. His father, R.C. Tirpude, said, “If the hospital did not have the facilities to handle emergencies, it should not have performed the surgery. The doctors have not even tried to find out how our son is doing.” His mother, Vidya, said, “I no longer remember days or dates. Every day I feel my son will open his eyes, but that day never comes.” Every day, she sits beside her son, stroking his head and hoping he will regain consciousness. Six months after a wedding, hospital corridors became home Vivek’s elder brother Amit and his wife Diksha had been married for only six months when the family found itself making repeated trips to hospitals. Amit said, “I do not want any other family to suffer like this. We will continue our fight until action is taken.” Dr Diksha alleged that doctors initially concealed the full details of what had happened after the surgery. Assured of zero risk, now battling for life According to Amit, Vivek’s scooter skidded near Samata Chowk in Balaghat on February 10. Despite suffering minor injuries to his face and hand, he rode home himself before going to the hospital with friends. An X-ray revealed a fracture in his hand. After applying a plaster cast, doctors reportedly advised surgery for faster recovery and assured the family that the procedure would take only 20 minutes and carry no risk. The operation was scheduled for 5 pm. When no update came even an hour later, the family began to fear that something had gone wrong. Government probe flags serious lapses An investigation report found that the mandatory antidote used to treat anaesthesia toxicity was not available at the hospital despite it conducting surgeries requiring anaesthesia. A report submitted by the Balaghat Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) on April 21 also noted that the hospital lacked a qualified intensivist and did not have a Code Blue emergency response system. The report described these shortcomings as serious negligence by the hospital management. Hospital denies negligence Sardar Patel Hospital director Vireshwar Singh rejected allegations of negligence and disputed the family’s claims. He said doctors had informed the hospital that Vivek consumed alcohol and was addicted to drugs. According to him, the first dose of anaesthesia was ineffective, requiring a second dose. Doctors present their defence Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Shubham Vaidya said Vivek had initially been admitted for head trauma and that he later treated the hand injury with a plaster cast. “Subsequently, I was informed that the family had agreed to surgery. The patient was still experiencing pain, possibly because of an issue with the anaesthesia dose or its effectiveness. I could not even begin the surgery. At one point, his pulse was not detectable, but I revived him,” he said. Neurosurgeon Dr Prince Verma said the matter is currently before a court and maintained that he was not the treating doctor in the case. He also said the CMHO report did not find negligence on the hospital’s part. Anaesthetist Dr Srishti Jain told Bhaskar that she was currently unwell and unable to comment on the case.