9-year-old girl loses arm: Probe ordered into medical negligence claim in Kerala

Palakkad: The parents of a nine-year-old girl, whose arm was amputated following a fracture, have alleged medical negligence at the district hospital where she was initially treated. In response, the state government on Friday ordered a probe into the matter.

State Health Minister Veena George directed the Health Department’s Director to investigate the allegations and take appropriate action.

The girl’s parents claimed that proper treatment was not provided when she first visited the district hospital with a broken arm. They said doctors asked them to return after five days, by which time the arm had become swollen and discoloured.

The hospital superintendent, however, denied any negligence, stating that all possible treatment had been provided and that the complication was a “rare occurrence” due to “unpredictable reasons.”

According to Dr P K Jayasree, the girl first visited the hospital on September 24. Her arm was set, plastered, and checked for normal blood flow. She was examined again the next day, with no signs of pain or swelling, and advised to return for a review after five days unless symptoms developed.

"The patient was advised to come to the hospital immediately if there was any pain or swelling, and if there was no such problem, to come for a review five days later," Dr Jayasree said in her statement.

On September 30, the girl returned in a weakened state with a swollen and discoloured arm. A Doppler scan revealed blocked blood vessels, prompting an immediate referral to Kozhikode Medical College for cardiothoracic and plastic surgery.

Despite medical intervention, the girl’s arm was amputated at Kozhikode Medical College.

PTI inputs