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| Photo Credit: G. Moorthy
A fall while playing with her little brother has now cost a nine-year-old girl from Pallassana, near Palakkad, Kerala her right hand. A fracture that could have been healed with a proper bandage ended up requiring amputation of the child’s hand, allegedly due to mishandling at the Government District Hospital in Palakkad. The child’s family has alleged medical negligence.
Health Minister Veena George has ordered an investigation into the incident, which sparked a furore on Friday. Youth Congress and BJP workers staged protests demanding accountability from the doctors responsible for the amputation.
A preliminary investigation conducted by a two-member medical team comprising Government Taluk Tribal Speciality Hospital, Kottathara, superintendent M.S. Padmanabhan and deputy district medical officer Kavya Karunakaran has found drawbacks in the treatment of the hand fracture, suggesting that lapses in care contributed to the amputation.
K. Babu, Nenmara MLA, alleged lapses in treatment.
Hospital authorities deny charges
District Hospital authorities, however, denied the allegations.
The incident occurred on September 24 when nine-year-old Vinodini, daughter of R. Vinod and Praseetha, had a fall while playing with her brother at their house at Ozhivupara, Pallassana.
Vinodini was rushed to Government Taluk Hospital at Chittur, but was referred to Government District Hospital, Palakkad. At the District Hospital, her fracture was treated and her hand was plastered following an X-ray.
When Vinodini developed severe discomfort a couple of days later, her parents took her back to the Palakkad hospital. The doctors prescribed pain medication, saying it was normal, but the discomfort persisted.
The child’s condition worsened over a few days, with severe pain, discolouration, numbness and blisters developing on her hand. Doctors at the District Hospital referred her to Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, for further treatment as they could not manage her condition locally.
By the time Vinodini reached Kozhikode, she had developed compartment syndrome, a serious condition caused by the tight and improper bandaging, which led to further complications and ultimately the amputation. Doctors at Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, made the difficult decision to amputate Vinodini’s hand to prevent further infection and to save her life, given the severity of the condition.
Activist and Youth Congress worker Boban Mattumantha alleged that timely intervention by doctors at Palakkad District Hospital – by removing the bandage and examining the hand – could have saved the girl’s hand when she first complained of pain and discomfort.
Published – October 04, 2025 12:48 pm IST
