A Chinese hospital has come under scrutiny after a midwife accidentally cut off a newborn baby's finger while severing his umbilical cord during a caesarean operation. The incident took place on December 25 in Xuyi County People's Hospital, located in Jiangsu province of eastern China.
Two hours after the mishap, the father, surnamed Sheng, was informed that the child's left finger had been cut off by accident. The nurse claimed that she made the blunder because the infant's finger suddenly moved when she was focused on the umbilical cord.
“How could such a stupid mistake happen in such a big hospital?” Sheng was quoted as saying by the South China Morning Post.
The baby underwent a finger implantation operation at the Wuxi No 9 People's Hospital, about 300 km away, after two hospital transfers. Sheng said the baby often cries and is suffering a lot because of a steel needle which was implanted inside his finger during surgery.
The Xuyi hospital has issued multiple apologies to the family and vowed to take full responsibility for the baby's future treatment and rehabilitation. The hospital initially proposed paying the family Rs 12.9 lakh (approximately 100,000 yuan) in compensation, adding that the case would be taken to court if the sum was not accepted.
Sheng later informed the media that a compromise was reached between the two parties on January 6, but stopped short of revealing the financial aspect of the deal.
“The incident shows the loopholes in our hospitals' medical safety management. We will hold relevant staffers accountable and learn the lessons from it. We will carry out a comprehensive overhaul on medical safety at all hospitals and will try to improve medical service quality,” the authorities said.
While the details of the midwife have not been disclosed, the hospital stated that she has been suspended from work.
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Baby's Finger Cut In India
Earlier this month, the thumb of a one-and-a-half-month-old baby was also severed in India's Maharaja Yashwantrao (MY) Hospital in Madhya Pradesh. The infant was admitted to the hospital for pneumonia treatment. As the nurse attempted to remove a tape used in the administration of intravenous drugs from the baby's hands, she ended up cutting the thumb as the scissor allegedly slipped.
The infant was referred to a super speciality hospital, MGM Medical College, where a team of surgeons successfully reattached the thumb. The infant remains under observation.
