Overview
- Hospital data placed before the court show 65 deaths out of 385 open‑heart surgeries from January 2023 to August 2025, a mortality rate of 16.88%.
- Yearwise figures noted by the bench: 2023 — 165 surgeries with 15 deaths; 2024 — 135 with 24; 2025 (Jan–Aug) — 85 with 26.
- The bench directed the SCBMCH Medical Superintendent to submit the current status of surviving patients and to place Death Review Board minutes on record by September 26.
- Health Secretary S. Aswathi told the court the government will conduct death audits and ensure no disruption to open‑heart surgery services.
- Judges urged creation of an additional CTVS team and mandated patient counselling, supervised cardiac rehabilitation, and medication‑adherence guidance, citing rising LAMA cases.