Bangalore: It has been almost 10 days now and three- year-old Mariyam Kousar continues to battle for her life, having reportedly suffered a brain hemorrhage during a routine surgery to correct a minor fracture in her hand at the Sanjay Gandhi Institute of Trauma and Orthopaedics (SGITO) on December 13.
The little girl was injured in a fall while playing outside a relative’s home in Dodballapur and her parents did not think it was anything to worry about. But after three days of hospitalisation, during which time she underwent a surgery, her condition turned critical, leaving her family astounded and grief-stricken.
Says Mariyam’s aunt, Reshma, “We thought it was just a minor surgery and did not pay much attention. But when she was taken into the operation theatre at 8.30 am and didn’t come out till around 3 pm we asked the doctors about her condition. At first they told us she was sleeping and then later informed us that she had been shifted to the ICU.”
She also claims that although Mariyam’s parents asked for her report, the doctor treating her did not provide it. “Mariyam had a 103 degree temperature and was biting her lips and tongue. Only after we got aggressive did the doctor give us her report and ask us to shift her to the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health. Once there, we were told she required ventilator support.
So we shifted her to Malati Manipal Hospital on December 18,” the aunt recounts. Despite all the medical intervention, Mariyam’s condition is no better and she continues to remain on ventilator
support.
“Mariyam is very close to her father . It is very hard to see him as he seems totally broken and is waiting for a miracle to save his daughter,” says Reshma, her aunt. The little girl’s mother, Basheera, too is inconsolable.
The family lives in Gurappana Palya. While Mariyam’s father, Mudassar Pasha is a daily wage earner, she has a younger sibling who is just six months old. When contacted, Dr B.G. Tilak, director, Sanjay Gandhi Institute of Trauma and Orthopaedics denied all the claims made by the family, saying the child would have lost her limb had the surgery not been performed.
“The doctors had to administer some anaesthesia during the procedure, but she later developed a respiratory problem and was admitted to the ICU. The parents had her discharged and now are making false claims,” he maintained.
Next: Doctors negligent while administering anaesthesia to patients
Doctors negligent while administering anaesthesia to patients
As many as seven cases of alleged medical negligence have been reported in the city since January this year alone, but the Karnataka Medical Council (KMC) and the state health and family welfare department have done little about them so far.
On February 10, three year old Shirish was taken to the Annayya Ear, Nose, Throat (ENT) and Dental Clinic for treatment of a toothache , but did not come out alive. Relatives alleged that Dr Raviraj and Dr Raghavendra, who treated him, gave him an overdose of anaesthesia, causing his death.
The boy’s father, K.S. Lokesh, says going by the biopsy report Shirish had about 70 ml of liquid in his heart and this had caused his lungs to collapse. In his view this had to be the outcome of an overdose of anaesthesia. Nine months later the clinic was closed as he campaigned hard for justice.
On March 18, 16 year- old R. Abhishek, died after suffering a cardiac arrest, allegedly as a result of anaesthesia administered during a gynecomastia surgery at Panecea Hospital and the accused doctor was issued a notice by the KMC. Dr H. Verrabhadrappa, president, Karnataka Medical Council says in such cases many factors need to be taken into account before any notice is issued to the hospital or doctors concerned. “We need to make a detailed inquiry into the case and cannot blame the hospital or the treating doctor directly. As of now we have about four or five cases of alleged medical negligence pending with us and we are inquiring into them all,” he adds.
Health minister U.T. Khadar, for his part, says the government has taken cognizance of the situation and is looking into the possibility of amending certain rules and laws to curb cases of medical negligence. “I have already held a discussion with the Health Secretary and the Health Director and we will come out with the required amendment soon,” he promises.
