Shocking! 4-year-old girl undergoes tongue surgery instead of finger at Kerala's Kozhikode Medical College

A four-year-old girl underwent surgery on her tongue instead of her sixth finger, as originally planned at Kozhikode Medical College. The medical college superintendent mentioned that the child also had tongue issues, but it's unclear if this was known prior to the surgery.  

Kozhikode: Serious allegations of medical malpractice have surfaced at Kozhikode Medical College, where a complaint states that there was a mix-up in the body part to be operated on. A four-year-old girl from Cheruvannur Madurai Bazaar, Kozhikode, who was supposed to undergo finger surgery, allegedly ended up having surgery on her tongue instead.

The child underwent surgery on her tongue instead of the intended procedure on her sixth finger. The family has reported that the doctor who conducted the surgery apologized for the mistake. Subsequently, the sixth finger was removed through another surgery. The family mentioned that the child was not with them when she was taken for surgery; instead, they were informed by the nurse that the surgery was completed upon the child's return to the ward, which they discovered when they noticed cotton stuffed in her mouth.

When the cloth on the child's hand was changed, it was observed that the sixth finger remained unchanged. The family alleges that the nurse reacted with laughter when informed about the mistake. They expressed that the seriousness of the incident was not appropriately addressed. Additionally, they claim that they have not received a satisfactory explanation from the authorities regarding the incident. There is uncertainty surrounding various aspects of the situation, including whether the child was mixed up with another patient or if there were alterations to the documents.

The medical college superintendent clarified that the child also had issues with her tongue. However, it remains unclear whether this condition was identified prior to the surgery. An investigation will be conducted to determine if both surgeries were performed simultaneously. Additionally, the superintendent affirmed that they would thoroughly examine the sequence of events to ascertain what occurred.