Doc to face action over medical negligence in surgery of four-year-old, says Kozhikode Medical College superintendent

KOZHIKODE: The medical college superintendent said that there will be action against the doctor in connection with alleged medical negligence at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital. A child admitted for surgical removal of the sixth finger was operated on her tongue.

Relatives said that they would lodge a complaint with the police, adding that no child should suffer this fate.

The health minister has sought a report on the incident. Further action will be taken on the basis of the report.

The four-year-old girl, with polydactyly condition, hailing from Madurabazar in Cheruvannur was admitted to the Kozhikode Medical College at 9 am on Thursday for surgical removal of her sixth finger, as it was getting stuck in her hair and getting injured. After the surgery, the child's relatives saw cotton in her mouth and asked the nurse about the matter. After removing the cloth on her hand, the sixth finger was found intact.

When the girl's family members asked whether the surgery was wrongly performed, a nurse allegedly replied with a smile. The nurse said that the surgery was over and advised to give ice cream to the child. The staff, including the doctor, realized that there was a mistake when the relatives said that the operation was to be done on the child's hand. The doctor then apologized to the girl's relatives and immediately performed another operation to remove the sixth finger.

The superintendent of the medical college had earlier said that there was a 'tongue-tie' in the child's throat and the first operation was performed to remove it. However, the relatives say that the child did not have any such problem and the surgery wasn't initially intended for such a problem.