Shatabdi Hosp doctors botch up surgery thrice

MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE: Parents, activists allege they are untrained amateurs who played with the life of a seven-year-old child

Life of seven-year-old Aman Pandey has been miserable since May 2016 after he fractured his left hand and came to seek medical assistance in Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Centenary Hospital in Kandivali.

A team of doctors at the hospital performed as many as three defective operations on the child. Parents and activists allege that the doctors are untrained amateurs and they played with the life of the child.

Aman Pandey twisted his hand in May 2016 after which he was taken to Shatabdi Hospital for an operation. A team of four doctors treated on him, only to fail in the operation for the first time. The same team of doctors operated the child for the second time which also went in vain.

“For the third time, the doctors advised me to install a piece of bone from the mother’s spine into Aman’s hand. We agreed to it for the sake of our child. But even after that operation Aman’s hand remained as it was,” said Umesh Pandey, Aman’s father who is an auto-rickshaw driver.

Due to the operation, even Aman's mother kept physically unwell as the missing bone in her spine troubled her while walking, making her jaded in minutes.

“She is not able to walk for long and cannot work like she used to. And this will remain throughout her life. We were really optimistic with the doctors regarding our son,” Umesh said.

Even after months, Aman's hand remained as is. Agitation morcha from Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) sought justice for the child. MNS cadres escalated the case to hospital superintendent and asked suspension of all the doctors who performed defective surgeries on Aman. Kunal Mainkar, MNS functionary who spearheaded the agitation against the hospital authorities, said, “They played with two lives but positive results came from none. How will we call them doctors? And on what grounds should their practicing license not be cancelled?” he asked. He also added that the hospital should take necessary action in less than 45 days.

Hospital superintendent has agreed to bear all the expenses of the child’s operations and a team of best doctors in the city will be operating on the child.

“We have promised the family to treat the child within a month. The diagnosis is rectifiable and will be done in consultation with all the superior senior doctors,” said Dr Pradeep Angre, superintendent of Shatabdi hospital, said.

For the third time, the doctors advised me to install a piece of bone from the mother’s spine into Aman’s hand. We agreed to it for the sake of our child. But even after that operation Aman’s hand remained as it is UMESH PANDEY FATHER