RCC orders internal enquiry following allegation of medical negligence

The parents of a nine-month old infant undergoing treatment for leukaemia at the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) here have alleged medical negligence, claiming that lapses in treatment have left their child on ventilator support. According to sources at the RCC, the infant son of the couple based at Kollam was being treated there for Acute megakaryocytic leukaemia (AML-M7), a rare subtype of acute myeloid leukaemia that is generally associated with a poorer prognosis than most other forms of AML.

Hospital sources said that though the infant had an advanced stage of the disease, he had shown some initial improvement following chemotherapy. But apparently, this was short-lived.

However, the parents alleged that the site where a cannula was put on the left arm of the infant (and which was later removed) had got infected and that this infection was unattended to, which led to the worsening condition of the infant. They alleged that it was not due to the child’s condition per se, but because of the negligence in dealing with the “infection” on the arm that the child ended up on the ventilator.

RCC authorities have clarified that this was not true and that the surgeon had taken a look at the “ïnfected site”, which was in all probability, the manifestation of leukaemia outside the bone marrow (infiltration into the skin, something that is strongly associated with AML) as the condition of the infant was deteriorating

With the parents of the infant registering formal complaints with the Health Minister and the Director of RCC, the RCC has initiated an internal enquiry into the case.

A senior RCC official said that every single procedure was documented in the hospital and that RCC had nothing to hide. A pathology report of the skin sample was awaited before finalising the enquiry report, which will be submitted to the Health Minister.

RCC said that it welcomed an external enquiry too, if the Government considered it necessary. The infant remains on the ventilator in a serious condition.