Dog bite treatment takes alarming turn; broken needle during anti-rabies shot sends toddler to surgery

MUMBAI: A two-and-a-half-year-old boy underwent emergency surgery after a vaccination needle broke and became lodged in his lower back while he was receiving anti-rabies treatment at a civic hospital in Kalyan, Maharashtra.

The incident occurred at Rukminibai Hospital, run by the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC). The child's family alleged that hospital staff initially refused to acknowledge that the needle had broken. After the boy developed severe pain, he was taken to a private hospital, where doctors located the broken needle through an X-ray and removed it in an emergency procedure.

The child, Kavesh, was taken to the hospital after he was accidentally bitten by the family's pet dog while playing. Doctors advised that he receive a course of anti-rabies vaccinations. A nurse administered three injections—two in his arms and one in his thigh—before the area near his lower back was marked for the next dose.

According to the boy's mother, Kajal, another doctor later arrived to administer the injection.
"About half an hour later, another doctor called me in. While I was holding my son's legs, the injection was given. It was done carelessly, and the needle suddenly broke and got stuck inside his body. Later, they claimed the needle broke because my child moved. The X-ray clearly showed the needle bent inside his body," she alleged.
Kajal said she immediately informed the medical staff that the needle had broken, but they insisted the missing portion might have fallen onto the floor.

The family was later sent home. However, the child soon developed intense pain at the injection site. When they returned to the hospital, they alleged that he did not receive treatment. After waiting for several hours, they shifted him to a private hospital.
An X-ray at the private hospital confirmed that the broken needle was lodged in the child's lower back. Doctors then removed it through a minor emergency surgical procedure.

On Tuesday, Kajal returned to Rukminibai Hospital, demanding compensation for the expenses incurred at the private hospital and urging authorities to ensure that no other child suffers a similar ordeal.
The incident also drew political attention, with a Shiv Sena leader accusing the hospital of gross negligence. Quoting the district health officer, he said the injection had been administered by an intern doctor and called for strict action against those responsible.