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New Delhi: In yet another case of medical negligence, a surgeon at a government-run hospital here wrongly operated on the leg of a patient admitted with a head injury, reports The Times of India on Monday. The senior surgeon, a senior doctor at the Sushruta Trauma Centre - a dedicated facility for trauma services run by the Delhi government - has been barred from conducting surgeries without supervision with immediate effect following the incident, which took place around 9.30am on April 19.

The patient, Vijendra Tyagi, met with an accident and he was rushed to the trauma centre of the hospital with minor injuries on his head and face. However, the surgeon apparently confused Tyagi with another patient, Virendra, who was also admitted to the same ward with a fractured leg. According to the Ankit Tyagi, Vijendra’s son, who noticed the error and alerted the hospital about the incident, the surgeon drilled a small hole into his father’s right leg to put a pin. Since the procedure was done under anaesthesia, the patient didn’t even realise the mistake or raise an alarm,” alleged Ankit. Read: Shocking! Kenyan doctor performs brain surgery on wrong patient

Within hours of the surgery, another corrective procedure was done on the patient, said the report.

When asked about the incident, the medical superintendent of the trauma centre told TOI that a committee constituted to look into the matter found merit in the allegations and a disciplinary action was initiated against the doctor. “The doctor has been barred from conducting surgeries without supervision with immediate effect,” said Dr Bahl.

“My father still has a headache and pain in the chest where there is an injury. But, due to the needless procedure, he is now unable to walk,” added Ankit.

The family, however, has decided not to seek legal action against the doctor for the error, added the report.

This is not the first time that such a medical error case has happened in the city. Recently, a similar medical negligence case was reported from AIIMS where a doctor performed a procedure required for dialysis treatment on a woman who did not have kidney disease. The incident forced the institute to set up a patient safety cell, which mandates doctors and nurses to run check-lists several times before any procedure.

Meanwhile, Dr Rob Hackett, a Sydney based anaesthetist, who started the ‘theatre cap challenge’, has been campaigning for patient safety in hospitals across the world. Apparently, Dr Hackeet came up with the idea to write his name and profession on his scrub cap to avoid mix-ups in the operating theatre, which would go on to save the lives and improve safety in hospitals everywhere. The 'theatre cap challenge' has also been embraced by surgical staff from across Australia, the UK, US, South America and Europe.