Alleged medical negligence during a Kochi hair transplant left Sanil battling a deadly infection, undergoing multiple surgeries, and facing emotional and financial ruin that devastated both him and his family
Published May 22, 2025 | 6:00 AM ⚊ Updated May 22, 2025 | 6:00 AM
Hair transplant horror: Kerala man battles flesh-eating bacteria following procedure
Synopsis: A quest for cosmetic perfection turned tragic for 49-year-old C Sanil from Ernakulam, after a hair transplant at a Kochi clinic allegedly led to severe medical negligence. Sanil contracted a life-threatening bacterial infection, endured multiple surgeries, and now faces emotional and financial turmoil. What began as a bid to restore confidence has left his life—and family—deeply scarred
A desire for good looks came at a devastating price, for 49 year old C Sanil, a native of Elamakkara in Ernakulam.
What began as a simple plan to restore his receding hairline has spiralled into a living nightmare — one he wouldn’t have imagined even in his worst dreams. Now, Sanil rues the day he decided to chase cosmetic perfection.
In what is being alleged as a case of gross medical negligence, Sanil’s life took a tragic turn after undergoing a hair transplant procedure at a private clinic in Kochi.
The aftermath left him battling a severe, life-threatening bacterial infection, multiple surgeries, and an emotional and financial crisis that shattered not just him but his family as well.
“It all began in September 2024,” recalls Sanil, his voice heavy with regret. What started as a simple plan to undergo a hair transplantation would soon spiral into a medical nightmare — one he wishes he had never walked into.
Scrolling through social media, an advertisement from Insight Derma Clinic at Panampilly Nagar, Kochi caught his eye. Eager to address his hair loss, he reached out.
The clinic responded promptly, and without a second thought, Sanil made plans for the procedure.
“Looking back, I should have read the signs,” he sighs. But the ‘bad omens’, as he calls them, were yet to fully appear. From September, Sanil remained in touch with the clinic.
The clinic in question
The surgery, initially scheduled for that month, was postponed multiple times.
Finally, in February 2025, the two-day-long hair transplant procedure was carried out.
During those hours at the clinic, he remembers noticing a staff member with visible skin issues — a condition the person later admitted was chronic eczema.
“I should have walked out then. But I didn’t,” Sanil says.
The procedure concluded on 27 February. Sanil was advised a week’s rest. But by 1 March, severe pain gripped his scalp. He reached out to Dr Sharath Kumar Bathini, the clinic’s Managing Director and Assistant Hair Transplant Surgeon — but got no response.
That night, his condition worsened. By 3 March, yellow spots appeared on his head, oozing discharge.
Alarmed, he contacted the clinic again. When Sanil asked if he could consult another hospital, the doctor insisted these were common post-procedure effects and urged him to return to their clinic.
“I visited them for three days straight. But nothing improved — the pain intensified, and they kept handing me painkillers and steroids. Soon my blood pressure and sugar levels shot up dangerously,” he recalls.
On 10 March, desperate for relief, Sanil checked into Lourdes Hospital. There, endocrinologist Dr Navya Mary Kurian immediately referred him to plastic surgeon Dr Chacko Cyriac. What he heard next shook him to the core.
“What Dr Cyriac told me about my condition was worse than my worst fears,” Sanil says, his voice breaking.
“The first response from Dr Chacko when he saw my condition was a sound of disbelief,” recalled Sanil. “He took a moment, then gently made me aware of how bad it really was. And soon after, he told me to prepare for surgery.”
What followed was not a single surgery — but a relentless series of them. Thirteen surgeries so far. And counting. It was then that Sanil learned he had contracted necrotizing fasciitis, a rare and aggressive bacterial infection more commonly known as flesh-eating disease.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), necrotizing fasciitis can escalate into a life-threatening emergency. Early symptoms include severe pain, high fever, and rapidly spreading infection. Immediate hospital care, powerful antibiotics, and urgent surgery are the only way to fight it.
“The infection had eaten away so much tissue that bone was visible. A hole had developed in my head,” Sanil said, his voice steady despite the horror of it.
Even now, the ordeal continues. Skin grafting procedures, reconstructive surgeries — with no clear end in sight. Due to continuous discharge from the infected area, Sanil is forced to carry a vacuum-assisted drainage pump full-time to prevent further complications.
Sanil at Lourdes Hospital
But Sanil is not one to back down.
“I’m determined to bring the clinic and those responsible before the law,” he said firmly. “This shouldn’t happen to anyone else.”
South First tried contacting Insight Derma Clinic, but all phone numbers remained switched off. An email query has been sent, and a response is awaited.
According to the clinic’s official website, Insight Derma Clinic was founded in October 2020 in Panampilly Nagar by Dr Pranaya Bagde and Dr Sharath Kumar Bathini.
Meanwhile, Sanil, the complainant, had approached the police much earlier, but it was only on 20 May that an FIR was registered at the Ernakulam Town South Police Station.
Faizal M S Isho, Inspector of Police, Ernakulam South, confirmed to South First, “We have registered a case. The persons concerned appear to be absconding. We tried reaching out, but there’s been no response. Right now, it seems like a negligent act, but to ascertain if it amounts to medical negligence, we need to examine the medical records and follow due procedures.”
As per the FIR, three people have been named accused in the case – Dr Sarathkumar, Gokul, an assistant at the clinic and an unidentified woman.
The case has been booked under Sections 125, 125(a), and 125(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, dealing with acts endangering life or personal safety of others.
“The complainant, who underwent hair transplantation surgery at the institution from 26.02.2025, was subjected to negligent and unsanitary procedures, leading to a bacterial infection at the transplant site. The infection resulted in severe damage to the scalp, including destruction of the skin,” the FIR states.
A senior police officer added that the clinic has now been sealed, and a comprehensive investigation is underway, including a probe into the medical qualifications of the accused doctor.
“He is not from Kerala but a native of Hyderabad. More details will emerge after the preliminary inquiry,” the officer noted.
As the Kochi man’s ordeal continues to grab headlines, tragedy struck in Kanpur where two people lost their lives after undergoing hair transplant procedures at a clinic.
Health experts are raising alarm bells, stressing the importance of ensuring that such procedures are carried out by qualified professionals in reputed, hygienic, and well-equipped medical facilities.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
