Kozhikkode: Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Thursday directed the district medical officer to conduct an investigation into the complaint of surgery on the wrong leg of a woman at a private hospital in Kozhikode and submit a report in this regard immediately.
Earlier, the patient's relatives had lodged a case of medical negligence against the Kozhikode National Hospital and the orthopedics department head, Dr P Bahirshan. In view of the complaint, the Health Minister has ordered an inquiry into the matter.
A 60-year-old patient, named Sajna, a resident of Kakkodi in Kozhikode had complained that surgery was performed on her right leg instead of the injured left leg. She claimed that the doctor and his team were informed about the mistake by her relatives after the surgery.
Sajna said that her left leg was injured a year ago after it got jammed between a door following which surgery was suggested. On February 21, surgery was performed on her. However, after the operation, she sensed a heaviness in her right leg. She said she was shocked to find her right leg had been operated on instead of the left. "I immediately called the nurse and asked her to inform the surgeon. The entire medical team realized the mistake," Sajna said.
The patient's relatives told ETV Bharat that the doctor confessed to the mistake. The mistake was committed by the doctor who had been treating Sajna for over a year, relatives said.
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Recently, the Kerala High Court issued a verdict stating that the death of every patient cannot be considered due to medical negligence and that the doctor can be held responsible only if the death was directly a result of his act.
