Toddler dies after plastic surgery; doctors, nursing staff of hospital booked

The one-and-a-half-year-old girl had sustained an injury to her nose while playing on December 18. After treating her for the injury, doctors at Yatharth Hospital told her family to get plastic surgery done on her

The Gautam Budh Nagar police have booked doctors and nursing staff of Yatharth Hospital in Greater Noida for alleged negligence after a 1-and-a-half-year-old girl died on Tuesday.

According to the complaint, after the surgery on December 19, the girl became unresponsive and she was declared dead later in the evening.

In the complaint submitted at the Beta-2 police station on Tuesday morning, the deceased girl’s father, Satendra Yadav, said she had sustained an iniury to her nose while playing on December 18. “After treating her for the injury, the doctors at the hospital advised us to get plastic surgery done on my daughter as her injury would leave a mark on her face. After discussing with my wife, we agreed to get the surgery done the following day on December 19,” states the complaint.

According to the complaint, after the surgery on December 19, the girl became unresponsive and she was declared dead later in the evening.

“The time of the surgery was 1.30pm and around 2.30pm she was taken out of the operation theatre. Around 4.30pm she was admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit, where the doctors told us that our daughter is fine. However, we could see that she was not responsive. Later, around 9.30pm, we called the nursing staff to check on our daughter, and they declared her dead,” states the complainant.

A First Information Report was registered in the case on Tuesday evening. The doctors and nurses of the hospital have been booked under sections 304A (death due to negligence) and 270 (whoever malignantly does any act which is, likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life) of the Indian Penal Code.

Dr Sunil Balyan, chief medical superintendent at Yatharth Hospital, said the matter is pending investigation. “All preliminary tests were done by the hospital before conducting the surgery on the child as she was found healthy and fit for the same. The child was responsive after the surgery and was given back in the care of the mother. Later, the baby had a sudden cardiac arrest from which she could not be resuscitated by the doctors,” he said.

According to Anjani Kumar Singh, station house officer of Beta-2 police station, the case is being investigated. “Suspects are being questioned in the matter. No arrests have been made so far,” he said.