Pune : ‘Clinic failed to identify newborn’s birth defect’

Kin of a newborn baby have alleged medical negligence by the radiologist and diagnostic centre, alleging that they failed to detect defects. The family was shocked after the child was born with the deformity of an underdeveloped limb, despite the reports provided by the centre, stating the baby was healthy. The family has complained to the director of health services, who has now initiated inquiry based on the complaint.

According to the aggrieved father’s complaint, the girl child was born on October 30 at the Mai Mangeshkar Hospital, during which it was found that her right leg below the knees was underdeveloped. The father, a teacher and resident of Ambegaon, has complained to the deputy director of health services against the radiologist Dr Shriyesh Jaiswal of Nucleus Diagnostics, Sinhagad Road branch, demanding stringent action.

The aggrieved father claimed, “All prenatal tests like sonography, anomaly tests, etc, were done by us at Nucleus Diagnostics and none of them ever told or informed us that there was any deformity. The reports said that the ‘fetal limbs appear normal and both hands and feet were visualised. Even the radiologist in his reports stated, ‘no obvious congenital abnormality is seen at present. Fetal heart, spine, head, stomach, both kidneys, bladder, hands and feet are normal’, then how was my child born with deformity? The doctors and the centre have committed a gross negligence and this will have a lasting impact on my child.”

“From the reports and after the delivery it is clear that the baby had deformity and the doctors failed to detect it. Due to the medical negligence committed by the doctors the entire family is suffering. If the radiologist had done the tests without dereliction, this problem would not have occured,” alleged the father.

Dr Nitin Bilolikar, deputy director of health services, said that he has received the complaint and the required action will be taken. “The father had come to us with the complaint and have given a written complaint. According to the complaint the baby was born with deformity and the father has claimed that doctor and centre are responsible. We have issued orders to investigate the issue with the PMC health chief. Further action will be taken based on the findings.”

“We trusted the doctors and went for the tests, but they disappointed us. Stringent action should be taken against the guilty,” said the newborn’s mother.

When Mirror contacted Jaiswal, he said he was unable to comment on the matter as he is out of town.

The owner of Nucleus Diagnostics, Dr Abhijeet Pawar, said the whole record of the patient have to be rechecked and evaluated to find out what went wrong.” and said he cannot comment without the entire reports are revisited.