Solapur: Probe ordered after doctor allegedly operates on wrong hand of 6-year-old

Mumbai: In a shocking case of alleged medical negligence in Pandharpur, Maharashtra, a doctor at a sub-district hospital reportedly removed a finger from the left hand instead of the right hand of a six-year-old boy. The incident has prompted the state health department to set up an inquiry committee to investigate the error.

The child, suffering from bilateral postaxial polydactyly—a condition in which both hands have extra little fingers—was admitted on Friday, March 27, due to stiffness, pain, and difficulty in gripping and moving one of the fingers on his right hand. Doctors had advised surgery on the affected finger of the right hand.

In response to the incident, the Maharashtra health department has constituted a two-member inquiry committee to investigate how such an error occurred. Officials said further action will be taken based on the panel’s findings.

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However, preliminary findings indicate the procedure was mistakenly performed on the left hand instead of the right. The error came to light soon after the procedure, prompting the boy’s family to lodge a complaint with hospital authorities.

Speaking to India TV, the child's family said they had clearly signed the NOC permitting surgery on the right hand. They alleged that despite this, the doctor performed the procedure on the left hand. They demanded strict action against those responsible. Meanwhile, doctors maintained that the condition existed in both hands, but the family reiterated that only the right hand required surgery. Officials stated that further steps will be decided after the inquiry committee submits its report.

Medical Superintendent Dr. Vijaykumar Sarde confirmed the development, stating, “A detailed inquiry will be conducted, and if the doctor is found guilty, a report will be sent to senior authorities for necessary action.”

The inquiry panel, led by Solapur district civil surgeon Dr. Varsha Doifode, has already visited the hospital and recorded statements from staff members involved in the procedure.

Meanwhile, locals alleged that patients at the facility have long faced inadequate services and lapses in care, and demanded stricter monitoring of government hospitals, reports Hindustan Times.

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