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The parents of a one-and-a-half-year-old toddler who was undergoing treatment at the Institute of Child Health (ICH) in Chennai’s Egmore have alleged that medical negligence led to the amputation of their son’s right arm. The toddler, Mohammed Mahir, whose family is from Ramanathapuram district in Tamil Nadu, was taken to ICH last week for treatment of a brain-related issue. Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian said that a three-member team has been constituted to conduct an inquiry into the allegations and submit a report.
Mohammed Mahir (1.5) was born through a preterm birth in 2022, and was diagnosed with multiple health issues including hydrocephalus — a neurological disorder caused by an abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in cavities deep inside the brain. A surgery was performed on the child in May 2022 when a shunt was placed to drain the excess fluid. Earlier last week, the shunt had come out from the toddler’s body through his anus, following which he was rushed to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) in Chennai.
In the last week of June, another surgery was performed at the Egmore hospital and the child was kept under observation. According to reports, on June 29, a nurse from the hospital had inserted a cannula (a tube inserted into a vein) on the right arm of the toddler. Azeesa Abdul, the mother of the child, told Puthiya Thalaimurai TV that though she raised an alarm about the child’s wrist turning red, it was not heeded by the staff. After a while, the entire arm turned red, and then black, she said, alleging that no nurses or doctors checked it out despite her seeking help. The child was then shifted to the operating room and his right arm was amputated, Azeesa said.
After the allegation was raised by the parents, RGGGH officials and Health Minister Subramanian said that an inquiry committee has been set up to probe the matter. The Minister also said that action will be taken against doctors, if a mistake is found on their part. According to a TNIE report, the hospital has denied the allegations and said that the boy had compartment syndrome, because of which blood and oxygen flow was limited to the area, leading to the amputation.
In November 2022, a teen football player in Chennai died in RGGGH after multiple organ failure due to alleged medical negligence after undergoing surgery that was meant to repair torn ligaments in her right knee to help her play football better. Following this, two doctors were suspended.
