BENGALURU: The parents of a two-month-old infant, whose toes were amputated at Vani Vilas Hospital, have alleged negligence by hospital staff, claiming that repeated complaints about the right leg turning blue were not addressed promptly. The hospital director, however, said the baby was brought to hospital in a critical condition with severe sepsis, and amputation was necessary to prevent the infection from worsening.
According to the father, Amarnath, the infant developed a fever and seizure-like symptoms before they took him to hospital on September 15. He alleged that the condition worsened and staff repeatedly asked them to wait for a surgeon despite their concerns about the leg turning blue.
The father also alleged that hospital staff struggled to establish intravenous access, attempting to insert a line at multiple sites, and that the baby now has stitches near the genital area. He claimed that scans later revealed a blood-related complication and treatment with a recommended injection helped improve the condition. However, inadequate dressing of the affected leg contributed to its deterioration, he alleged, and also questioned why the hospital had sought blood without clearly explaining its purpose.
Dr Savitha C, Medical Superintendent, Vani Vilas Hospital, said the baby was born elsewhere and brought to the hospital about 21 days after birth, following referrals from CV Raman General Hospital and Bowring Hospital. The infant had a fever and was in critical condition on arrival.
“The baby had severe sepsis. We gave higher antibiotics, and put him on ventilator for seven days. Initially, we had counselled the parents that the baby might not survive,” the director said.
She said the baby also had low platelet count and developed venous thrombosis, which caused blood vessel blockages and led to gangrene in the toes. Treatment with blood thinners and antibiotics helped limit the damage, or the baby would have required a below-knee amputation. “The infection would have worsened if we had left it untreated. That is why only the toes were amputated,” Dr Savitha said.
The baby remains in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The director said the condition was no longer life-threatening and the infant would be discharged once plastic surgeons considered the baby fit to leave hospital.
