The left arm of a 17-year-old boy was amputated below the elbow after he got injured while playing football while undergoing treatment for a bone fracture. The guardians of the boy have registered a case of medical negligence against a doctor who performed the surgery in Thalassery police station, Kannur district.

According to the boy’s parents, he suffered two fractures in his left hand on October 30. When taken to the Thalassery General Hospital, the resident medical officer bandaged the boy’s hand using a scale after taking an X-ray, and Dr. Vijumon, an orthopedic specialist, informed the family that the boy would need surgery to fix his fracture. After surgery, blood circulation in the hand stopped.

The boy was later referred to Kozhikode Medical College, where the doctors stated that four surgeries would be required. The doctor further added that if the situation worsened, the hand would have to be amputated. Later, the boy’s parents sought a second opinion from doctors in a hospital in Coimbatore. The doctors from Coimbatore gave the same opinion. Finally, the amputation took place at a private hospital.The family has now accused Dr. Vijumon of medical negligence. However, Thalassery hospital officials denied all allegations. A case has been registered under Section 338 of the Indian Penal Code based on a complaint filed by the boys father. 

(Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/medical-negligence-case-against-kerala-govt-doctor-after-teenager-forearm-amputated-thalassery-2301506-2022-11-25 )