Nuh hospital probes claim 4-year-old boy was operated on wrong leg

The child’s family alleged doctors later operated on the infected leg after objections. Hospital says action will follow the inquiry; no FIR has been registered.

A probe has been ordered after a four-year-old boy was allegedly operated on the wrong leg at Shaheed Hasan Khan Mewati Government Medical College and Hospital (SHKM) in Nalhar, Nuh, health officials said on Saturday.

Nuh hospital probes claim 4-year-old boy was operated on wrong leg

The inquiry was initiated after the child’s father, Arif, a resident of Mewli village, alleged in a complaint that doctors operated on his son’s healthy right leg instead of the infected left leg on Thursday.

According to the complaint submitted to SHKM director Mukesh Kumar, the child was admitted to the hospital on July 20 with severe swelling, infection and pus formation in his left leg. After an initial examination, doctors advised an ultrasound and referred him to the orthopaedics department.

Director Kumar confirmed that the institute received the complaint on Friday and that an inquiry was initiated on Saturday. “We have received the complaint, and an inquiry is being conducted. Appropriate action will be taken after the investigation is completed,” he said.

Arif alleged that when he returned to the hospital with the ultrasound report on Thursday, his son was taken for surgery. Before the procedure, he claimed he had clearly informed the doctor and the medical team that the infection was in the child’s left leg.

However, when the child was brought out of the operation theatre, the family allegedly found that surgery had been performed on the healthy right leg. The family immediately objected, following which hospital authorities took the child back into the operation theatre and operated on the infected left leg, the complaint stated.

Calling it a case of gross medical negligence, the family demanded registration of an FIR against the doctor and the medical team, besides seeking a departmental inquiry and strict action against those responsible.

Hospital authorities declined to comment on the family’s allegations regarding the sequence of events, stating that the matter is under investigation.

Nuh police spokesperson Krishan Kumar said no FIR had been registered and that police would take a decision based on the findings of the inquiry committee.