Bungling medics in India stuck a baby girl’s thumb back in position with tape after it was nearly severed during her birth, it has been revealed.
They then reportedly refused to treat the injury, claiming it was nothing more than a scratch, and now the baby is at risk of losing her half-severed digit after it turned blue.
Family members of the newborn girl reportedly had to plead with doctors for them to fix their mistake at the Mother and Child Hospital in the city of Mirzapur, in India’s state of Uttar Pradesh, on 3rd August.
The infant baby girl had her thumb badly cut and only partially attached during delivery, allegedly by a Dr S.P. Gupta, with nurses then just putting sticky tape on it.
They then allegedly sent the family home a few days later to try and get rid of the problem after realising how seriously damaged the digit was.
It was supposed to have been seen on Monday by a doctor, but the staff saw the state of it after removing the tape on Sunday and decided to get rid of the problem by discharging the family, according to reports.
Four days later, the family, from the village of Halia, returned when the deep wound, seen in the photos, worsened.
And instead of providing them with care, the unnamed girl’s dad, named as Indra Bahadur Patel, was reportedly pushed away by staff when he asked for help.
The girl’s grandfather, Indra Bahadur Patel, said that even animals would have been treated better.
A short while later, the thumb started turning blue so the family took her to a different hospital, the Divisional Hospital, for treatment.
There, doctors immediately stitched the wounded thumb and provided treatment, but warned the family that as so much time had passed, there was little hope that the girl will be able to keep her thumb.
The medics said that if it had not healed in a few days, it would have to be amputated.
Dr S.P. Gupta has claimed to local media that the mistake was not his fault and that the thumb was cut by a nurse.
It is unclear if the health authorities are investigating the incident and if the family plan to file a complaint.
