In a case of medical mistake, an orthopaedic surgeon at Murshidabad Medical College Hospital allegedly treated the wrong limb, applying traction to the right leg of a 55-year-old woman when her fracture was in the left leg.
The goof-up left her family stunned and furious and eventually led to a police complaint alleging negligence.
The incident occurred late on Thursday night and came to light after the patient, Renu Bewa, was shifted back to the ward following the procedure. Her son noticed that the traction had been applied to the wrong leg, following which the family confronted the doctors on duty.
Amid protests and heated exchanges, the hospital authorities hurriedly took the patient back to the operation theatre and applied traction to the injured left leg.
Angry over what they described as gross negligence and alleged misbehaviour by the doctor concerned, the woman’s son, Mohammed Rahimuddin, lodged a written complaint at the Berhampur police station.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Rahimuddin said: “My mother was injured after falling from the terrace in the afternoon. We first took her to a local private nursing home, where only an X-ray was done. The report showed that the left hip joint was dislocated. The nursing home authorities told us to take her to a medical college hospital. We admitted her to Murshidabad Medical College Hospital around 11 pm.”
He said the family was informed the next day that the procedure would be done at 7 pm, but the patient was taken to the operation theatre only around 11 pm.
“After about half an hour, she was brought out and placed on a general bed. That is when we found that traction had been given to her right leg, even though the left hip joint was fractured,” he said.
According to Rahimuddin, when the family protested, the doctor claimed that traction had been arranged based on what the patient had told him.
“But the nurse on duty clearly said that it was written ‘left leg’ in the records. After our protest, my mother was taken back to the OT and traction was finally arranged on her left leg,” he said.
He further alleged that when he questioned the doctor about the error, the doctor became angry and threatened to refer his mother to Calcutta.
“When we continued to protest, hospital security escorted us out. I cannot understand how a doctor can apply traction to the right leg when the fracture was on the left. This is completely irresponsible behaviour,” Rahimuddin said.
Responding to the incident, medical superintendent Anadi Roy Chowdhury said, “I have heard that such an incident has happened, but no one lodged a complaint with me. I have come to know that they approached the police directly and did not even give me a copy of the complaint. Since the incident has occurred, I have formed an inquiry committee and entrusted it with the responsibility of conducting a probe.”
“Action will be taken against the doctor concerned once the inquiry committee submits its report. However, no operation was done. Only traction was given, and the problem arose due to that traction,” he added.