A hospital in Kota, India, has come under scrutiny after an elderly man was erroneously operated on while accompanying his son for surgery.
The incident occurred at a medical college hospital on 12 April, following a case of mistaken identity.
According to India Today, Mr Manish had arrived for scheduled leg surgery following a previous accident.
His father, Mr Jagdish, went with him to offer support.
Source: India Today
While Mr Manish underwent surgery, his father waited outside.
Upon emerging, Mr Manish was shocked to learn that his father, who suffers from facial paralysis and cannot speak, had been mistakenly taken into another operating theatre.
There, his hand was incised for a procedure intended for someone else.
It was later revealed that another patient named Jagdish was scheduled to undergo a minor operation to create a dialysis fistula in his hand.
The procedure involves surgically connecting an artery and a vein to facilitate dialysis treatments.
When medical staff called out “Jagdish”, Mr Manish’s father mistakenly raised his hand and was taken in without further verification.
Staff failed to properly confirm his identity before bringing him into the operating theatre.
The elderly man was even placed on the table and received an incision on his hand to begin the procedure.
Fortunately, the doctors treating Mr Manish entered just in time and stopped the surgery before it could proceed.
Source: India Today
The wound on Mr Jagdish’s hand was quickly stitched up, and he was returned to the ward.
Mr Manish told the Times of India that his father now has five to six stitches on his hand.
He added that he is unable to recall the name of the doctor who carried out the procedure.
Hospital sources revealed that the elderly man was not wearing the required surgical gown, and the usual pre-surgery steps — such as shaving and sterilising the area — were also not performed.
Despite these clear red flags, the medical team proceeded with the incision.
The hospital later acknowledged that standard operating procedures were not followed, especially considering the man’s inability to speak due to paralysis.
Dr Sangeeta Saxena, Principal of the Medical College Hospital, confirmed that a three-member committee has been appointed to investigate the error.
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Featured image adapted from India Today.