Kozhikode: A fresh allegation of medical negligence has surfaced against the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital (KMCH), with a young couple accusing hospital authorities of failing to provide timely treatment to their newborn daughter who suffered a fractured arm during delivery.

The couple, natives of Ottatheng near Kakkodi in Kozhikode district, have lodged formal complaints with the Medical College Police and the hospital superintendent, demanding a thorough inquiry and action against those responsible for the alleged negligence.

Following the complaint, the Superintendent of the Institute of Maternal and Child Health (IMCH), functioning under the KMCH, has sought a detailed report from the head of the Department of Gynaecology regarding the incident.

According to the family, the incident dates back to May 14, when Amala V R delivered a baby girl at IMCH. The parents claim that immediately after delivery, doctors informed them that the child had sustained a fracture to her right arm.

While the family acknowledges that complications during childbirth can sometimes lead to such injuries, they allege that the hospital failed to provide prompt and adequate care to the infant after the fracture was detected.

Recounting the traumatic experience, Amala said the delivery was prolonged and complicated. "During the delivery, I could see several doctors gathered around me discussing that the baby's shoulders had become stuck. Eventually, they managed to deliver the baby. Soon after showing the child to me, they informed me that her right arm had been fractured during the process," she said.

Amala alleged that despite the child crying continuously in pain, medical staff did not immediately initiate treatment. 

"The delivery was completed around 1 pm We expected the doctors to start treatment immediately. However, the baby was taken for an X-ray only around 8 pm, and it was confirmed that there was a fracture. Even after that, they neither plastered nor properly immobilized the arm. The baby cried throughout the night in pain. It was only the next day that a bandage was applied," she said.

According to the mother, the situation worsened when the bandage came off on May 17.

"By noon, the bandage had loosened and come off completely. One of the bones appeared displaced and the baby was crying constantly. We waited for several hours, hoping that the doctors would attend to her. When no proper intervention came even by 9 pm, we decided to shift the baby to a private hospital for treatment. What happened was a serious lapse in care," Amala alleged.

Her husband, Sujith, echoed the allegations and demanded accountability.

Sujith also spoke about the emotional burden the family endured during the period.

"My father passed away on the second day after the delivery. At a time when our family was already going through immense grief, the lack of attention and support from the hospital authorities caused us severe mental stress and trauma," he added.

Responding to the allegations, IMCH Superintendent Dr Arun Preeth said a detailed report was sought from the Department of Gynaecology and that further action would depend on the findings.

"In the preliminary assessment, I have learned that this appears to be a case of shoulder dystocia, a delivery complication in which the baby's shoulders become stuck behind the mother's pelvic bone after the head is delivered. This is a known obstetric emergency and can sometimes result in injuries such as fractures during efforts to safely deliver the baby," he said, adding that that the baby weighed 3.35 kilograms at birth, which can be a contributing factor in such cases.

"Shoulder dystocia is an unpredictable complication and can occur in approximately one out of every 150 deliveries. However, we are awaiting the detailed report to understand exactly what transpired in this case. Appropriate action, if required, will be taken after examining the facts," he said.