Family to go to court rejecting probe

The probe committee formed to investigate a "botched surgery" by Chittagong Medical College Hospital that led to amputation of a forearm of a girl did not find evidence of negligence of doctors during the surgery.

Meanwhile, family members of the girl, six-year-old Waheda, rejected the probe report and announced that they would file a petition with the court for a judicial enquiry.

Dr AM Kazi Harun-ur-Rashid, a relative of Waheda and an associate professor at Chittagong University, alleged that the doctors changed the information in Waheda's medical file after amputating her forearm and also forged the signature of her guardian in the consent form for surgery.

Waheda's father, Mozaher Ahmed, said they brought allegation of negligence against Dr Mohammad Hossain, assistant professor of the hospital's orthopaedic department; Dr Rajib Barua, the department's assistant registrar; Dr Mamun, a fellow in the department; and Nurul Huda, a nurse.

The probe body headed by Prof Dr SM Ashraf Ali of the surgery department was formed on September 27, and it submitted the report on October 9.

According to the complaint, Waheda was admitted to CMCH after a pickup truck drove over her left leg on August 27. In an operation that night, doctors cut off her leg from a bit over the ankle.

As the first surgery did not go well, the doctors performed another surgery in which they cut off her leg from under the knee. After the operation, the cannula inserted into her left hand to deliver medicine and saline had "penetrated a muscle" due to negligence of the doctors, it added.

As a result, saline and other liquids began accumulating in the muscle causing Waheda's hand to swell up. Doctors tried to remove the liquid, but cut off the nerves in the hand causing it to become black. Doctors then arranged another operation on September 17 and cut off the hand.          

Contacted yesterday, CMCH Director Brig Gen Khondakar Shahidul Ghani told The Daily Star that the probe committee found a concealed injury in Waheda's left hand that was not noticed in the initial stage.

"The hand was rotting due to the injury and after doctors noticed it they immediately operated to save the girl's life," he said quoting the probe report.

He brushed aside allegations of signature forgery and changing information in the medical files.