Thiruvananthapuram: A four-year-old girl in Attingal suffered severe skin reactions resembling burns after being administered expired medication at the Attingal Government Homeopathic Hospital. Hospital authorities have officially admitted the lapse, prompting an immediate investigation led by the District Medical Officer (DMO).

The young patient, Evani, is the daughter of Jijo and Varsha, Thrissur natives who currently reside in a rented house near Kaduvayil Mosque in Kallambalam. She was taken to the outpatient clinic on October 1 to address minor skin marks on her face.

Negligence leaves child with severe skin eruptions
The parents revealed that the ointment prescribed by the clinic had expired in March, several months prior. Within hours of applying the medicine, the toddler developed intense itching. Her skin rapidly deteriorated over the next couple of days, leaving her with painful, oozing blisters that closely resembled thermal burns. Distressed by their child's suffering, the parents launched formal complaints with top health department officials and the Health Minister.

Hospital points to dispensing error
Responding to the complaints, the hospital management conceded that a serious error had occurred at the dispensary. According to their statement, the expired pharmaceutical stock had been segregated and set aside for safe disposal. However, someone on the staff reportedly misplaced the batch back onto the active dispensing rack, from where it was mistakenly handed over to the patient's family.

Frustrated by the lack of immediate action after filing online complaints, the family personally visited the DMO to demand accountability. A high-level team under the DMO has since visited the facility and initiated a formal inquiry to investigate the lapses in stock management and pharmacy protocols.