Kozhikode: The Government Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode was once again been accused of major medical negligence. The doctor operated on the tongue of a four-year-old without the parents' consent instead of surgically removing the sixth finger of the child.

The girl, who has polydactyly condition, was admitted to the hospital for the removal of the additional finger on her hand. According to the Hospital Superintendent, the surgeon who entered the operation theatre for the surgery realised that the child had a medical condition called 'tongue-tie'. Following this diagnosis, the doctor decided to operate on the girl's tongue before proceeding with the scheduled surgery. But, the parents'  consent was not taken before operating on the child. 

Dr Arun Preet, the superintendent of the Institute of Maternal and Child Health, confirmed to Onmanorama that such a 'mistake' did happen at the hospital. "Yes, there was an incident. However, the child will only benefit from the procedure. When the doctor noted tongue-tie in the child, he first corrected that before doing surgery to remove the sixth finger. We admit that there was a communication error and we will investigate that. There were 16 operations scheduled for the day. However, the child will not be adversely impacted by the additional procedure," he said.

Intervening in the matter, Health Minister Veena directed the Director of Medical Education to conduct an immediate investigation into the incident and submit a comprehensive report. The child is hospitalised, and the family stated their intention to lodge a complaint with the police, seeking action against those responsible for the grave error. "No one should have such an experience again at the Medical College Hospital," the child's family said. They said that the child had no issue with her tongue. The family also said the hospital authorities should take responsibility if any adverse consequences arise for the child due to this procedure. "The hospital authorities informed us that it was a mistake as they had scheduled surgery for two children on the same date," a family member said.

The  Kozhikode Medical College Hospital has been in the news for the medical negligence case where a pair of forceps was left in the abdomen of KK  Harshina after she underwent a C-section at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode.
(With PTI inputs.)