Goof up in 4 year old's surgery at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, doctor suspended

Kozhikode, May 16:  In another major goof up at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, a four year old girl on Thursday became a victim of medical negligence, and the Kerala government, taking serious note of the incident, has suspended Associate Professor Dr Bejohn Johnson.

According to relatives of the child, she came to the hospital because she had six fingers on one hand.

We were told that it could be removed through a minor surgery, so we agreed. A while later, when the child was wheeled back, we were surprised to see the girl’s mouth was plastered. We did not know what had happened and then when we checked her hand, the sixth finger was still there, said a relative.

We informed the nurse and when she heard it, she was smiling. We were told that there was a problem with her tongue too, and that was rectified. Soon the doctor came and apologised for the mistake and said the sixth finger would be removed, and took the child away, the relative added.

As the media took up the issue, state Health Minister Veena George ordered the probe and the suspension followed.

This incident comes at a time when this hospital is already in the news after Harshina, a woman in her 30s, was on a long protest for her complaint that after her C-section, the doctors left a pair of scissors in her abdomen, This complaint turned out to be true and the erring staff members have been identified.