Ravi Rai slipped down the stairs and this unfortunate accident left his right leg fractured. But what he’d never anticipated was that his troubles would double up when he went to a top Delhi hospital for treatment.
According to Daily Mail, Fortis hospital in Shalimar Bagh admitted 24-year old Ravi after his fall and while surgery was recommended to fix the bones, a temporary cast was put on the injured leg while the family made insurance arrangements.
But come the day of the surgery, the very ‘esteemed’ orthopaedic surgeons of the establishment mistakenly operated on the left foot instead.
Multiple screws were inserted in the perfectly healthy foot as part of this erroneous surgery and the mistake was only discovered when Ravi woke up post-op and screamed bloody murder that they had operated on the wrong leg!
“The doctors said surgery was needed to fix the bones. We agreed but wanted some time to arrange the insurance papers. So a temporary cast was put. It’s incomprehensible how they missed the marks left by the cast and operated on the wrong foot. It is a case of medical negligence and the doctors must be punished suitably for this.”
The hospital released an official statement in light of this grave negligence on the part of its employees.
“Following yesterday’s incident, we immediately set up an expert committee to enquire into the matter. Their preliminary view suggests that in the rarest of aberrations, the operating team may have disregarded and sidestepped due processes. We take our obligation to our patients very seriously. As this is a zero tolerance area for us, the services of erring doctors and OR personnel (five) have been dispensed forthwith.”
One of the doctors was quoted as exclaiming at just how unimaginable such an error is. Markings on the surgical site among other rules should have prevented such a heinous oversight. Moreover, screws need to be fixed under X-ray, which begs the question, how did they operate on a heel with no visible damage?
Ravi has now been transferred to a nearby location of Max hospital and surgeons are deliberating on the best course of treatment for him.
They reckon that removing the screws from the undamaged heel first is a priority at the moment.
Well, we hope for a speedy recovery for you, Ravi. And we certainly hope strict action is taken to ensure that such a grave error is never made again.