Doctors deny negligence in case of alleged ill treatment of infant at RGGGH

CHENNAI: The doctors at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital deny negligence in the treatment while administering IV drips to a 1.5 year old male child at the hospital. The child underwent amputation of the hand at the Institute of Child Health on Sunday because of alleged medical negligence.

Mohamed Mihir, was born at a private hospital and was underweight with the size of the head being 61 cm, which is almost double than usual 37 cm. The doctors said that the child had multiple health problems including a hole in the heart and he was found to have a release of abnormal amount of cerebrospinal fluid inside the brain. A shunt was placed for the same after a surgery on May 2022. The child also had a cardiac arrest while performing the surgery at the Institute of Child Health around a month ago but he was successfully revived.

The shunt had come off through anus last week and the family brought the child to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital for further treatment. The doctors explained that the neuro surgery department had analysed the reports of the boy and he was found to have venous thrombosis , because of which blood and oxygen flow was being disrupted and the circulation was not regular.

However, the parents alleged that the drips were not placed properly and it led to swelling and blackening of the hand. Despite informing the nurses, they did not take an action as the hand started turning red, the kin alleged.

TN health minister Ma Subramanian visited ICH and said that a committee of doctors has been formed and if there is any negligence, it needs to be investigated. "If the family does not trust the government doctors, we are ready to take a second opinion from any other private hospital or doctor also and we will take action, if there is any negligence. We will bear the cost and responsibility for the same," he said.