KOZHIKODE: Another case of medical negligence has emerged from Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, where a surgery was performed on the tongue of a four-year-old girl, who was brought to the hospital for a procedure to remove her sixth finger.
Following the incident, the director of medical education suspended associate professor Dr Bijon Johnson, of the paediatric department of the Institute of Maternal and Child Health, pending an inquiry. The family of the child also lodged a complaint with the Medical College police.
The family, from Cheruvannur, arrived at the hospital on Thursday morning for the finger surgery. After the hour-long procedure, the child was brought to the ward, when the parents noticed cotton stuffed in her mouth. And her sixth finger hadn’t been removed.
According to family members, the nurse mocked them when they pointed out the error. Hospital authorities, on their part, tried to settle the issue during a series of discussions with the family. The doctor who led the surgery even apologised. A subsequent surgery was even conducted to remove the child’s sixth finger.
Meanwhile, the hospital superintendent came forward to defend the surgeon. “After the surgery of the four-year-old girl, there was a procedure scheduled for a child with a tongue-tie. When the first child cried in the operation theatre, the surgeon noticed the tongue-tie in her mouth. So, he proceeded to operate on it. But we failed to communicate the incident to the child’s relatives. However, we will investigate the complaint,” the superintendent said. However, the family clarified that the child didn’t suffer from any kind of speech impediment.
The controversy kicked up by the revelation forced Health Minister Veena George to order a probe by the director of medical education.
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The doctor was suspended, pending the investigation, based on the instructions of the minister. “We have called for a detailed investigation and follow-up action. Hospitals have been instructed to strictly adhere to protocols,” the minister said.
The Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association (KGMCTA) also came forward to back the surgeon. “The doctor noticed the tongue-tie when the child was brought to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital for surgery to remove a sixth finger. The parents may not have noticed this minor defect earlier. The doctor’s priority was to clear the tongue-tie since it may cause speech impairment in the future even though there are no major problems now and it is difficult to treat and cure the speech impairment once the speech is fully developed,” Dr Krishnan C, president of the Kozhikode chapter of KGMCTA, said in a press release.
“It is also worth noting that this surgery is not possible in children who do not have a tongue-tie. The surgery on the finger was done immediately as per the demands of the parents. The hasty suspension of the doctor, without a proper investigation, is unfortunate. Such measures would affect the morale of government medical college teachers who render meritorious service even under adverse conditions,” Dr Krishnan said.
Meanwhile, the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights filed a case against hospital authorities and sought a report on the incident. Youth Congress workers protested in front of the hospital for the repeated medical negligence which ended in a minor clash.
The MCH shot into the headlines last year, when K K Harshina said that a 2022 scan had revealed a pair of forceps stuck in her abdomen, reportedly following a botched surgery. In Harshina’s case, too, authorities initially tried to cover up the error but the victim went ahead with a police complaint. The Adivaram native is still fighting for justice.