Surgery performed on four-year-old’s tongue instead of finger; medical board confirms Dr Bijon Johnson was at fault – KERALA – GENERAL

KOZHIKODE: The medical commission has confirmed that Dr Bijon Johnson made a mistake in the incident where surgery was performed on the tongue of a four-year-old girl instead of her finger at the Mother and Child Centre of the Medical College. The medical commission has clarified in the report submitted to the police that surgery on the tongue instead of the finger is a medical malpractice. The report was submitted after a meeting of the five-member medical commission convened by the DMO.

The police had also found that the operation was performed on the wrong organ. Medical College Investigating Officer ACP KE Premachandran said that further action would be taken after examining the medical commission report. The medical commission handed over the report to the police after examining the medical records of the operated child, the service register, statements made to the police by the operating doctor and the duty officers and the preliminary report of the police.

The surgery to remove the tongue tie was performed on May 16 on a woman from Cheruvannur Maduravanam who had come for treatment of her finger. The doctor told the police that there was no mistake and the surgery was performed when he noticed the tongue tie (ankyloglossia) in the child.