Doctor suspended after mix up in surgery performed on child at Kerala govt hospital
Kozhikode (Kerala), May 16: A four-year-old girl in Kerala was wheeled into an operating theatre at the Government Medical College Hospital here on Thursday for the removal of her sixth finger. Hours later, when she emerged from surgery, it was discovered that the operation was performed on the wrong part -- her tongue.
The shocked family of the girl said the error came to light when they found cotton stuffed in the child's mouth post-surgery, prompting them to investigate the matter further.
Upon closer inspection, they found that the surgery was performed on her tongue, not on her hand as intended.
As the issue created an uproar in Kerala, the state government initiated action, suspending Associate Professor Dr Bejohn Johnson, pending an inquiry.
Health Minister Veena George announced the decision to suspend the doctor after receiving a report from the Director of Medical Education, who was asked to conduct an immediate investigation into the incident earlier in the day.
An official statement said the minister has also directed that a detailed inquiry is conducted and further action taken.
George has given strict directives to the hospitals to strictly follow the protocols, it said.
Meanwhile, the family has lodged a complaint with the police, seeking action against those responsible for the grave error.
"No one should have such an experience again at the Medical College Hospital," the child's family said. They said that the child had no issue with her tongue.
The family also said the hospital authorities should take responsibility if there are adverse consequences for the child due to the procedure.
"The hospital authorities informed us that it was a mistake as they had scheduled surgery for two children on the same date," a family member said.
A family member said the doctor had apologised to the family for the error.
Expressing shock over the incident, Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan said it was "serious medical malpractice" and sought strict disciplinary action against those who are responsible for it.
"Presently, the government's actions seem to undo the progress Kerala has achieved in the health sector over the years," he said in a statement here.
Satheesan alleged that the credibility of government hospitals is being questioned due to repeated medical errors.
"Apart from just asking for a report right away, what steps has the health department and the minister taken to address each incident? This isn't the first problem at Kozhikode Medical College," he pointed out, recalling the case of Harshina, who protested after a device got stuck in her stomach during surgery."
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Rickelton's ton in vain as SRH beat MI by 6 wickets
Mumbai (PTI): Ryan Rickelton's whirlwind unbeaten ton was overshadowed by Heinrich Klaasen's unbeaten 65 as Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Mumbai Indians by six wickets in an IPL match here on Wednesday.
Chasing an imposing 244-run target, Travis Head (76 off 30) and Abhishek Sharma (45 off 24) shared 129 runs for the opening wicket to set the platform for SRH.
Klaasen (65 not out off 30 balls) then displayed his all-round hitting abilities to guide SRH home with the help of Nitish Kumar Reddy (21) and Salil Arora (30 not out off 10) in 18.4 overs.
Earlier, Rickelton's knock powered MI to 243 for five.
MI rode on a 93-run stand between Rickelton (123 not out off 55 balls) and Will Jacks (46 off 22) in 7.1 overs for the opening stand to power the side.
MI skipper Hardik Pandya scored a valuable 31 off 15 balls before being dismissed.
Praful Hinge (2/54), Eshan Malinga (1/29), Sakib Hasan (1/39) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (1/31) were the wicket-takers for SRH.
Brief Scores:
Mumbai Indian: 243 for 5 in 20 overs (Ryan Rickelton 123 not out; Praful Hinge 2/54).
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 249 for 4 in 18.4 overs (Travis Head 76, Heinrich Klaasen 65 not out; AM Ghazanfar 2/51).
