Doctors perform circumcision instead of tongue surgery on 2.5-year-old; UP hospital's license suspended

The licence of a private hospital here has been suspended over allegations it circumcised a two-and-a-half-year-old child admitted there for a tongue surgery, official said Monday.

The health department officials said a probe into the allegations found the management of M Khan Hospital prima facie responsible in the matter, and Chief Medical Officer Balbir Singh issued orders Sunday night suspending the licence.

This means the hospital cannot admit and treat new patients, they said.

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The probe in the matter will continue and further action taken if any discrepancy is found in its documents, Singh said.

During the probe, the child’s family alleged the circumcision was done as part of a conspiracy as their signature was taken on a document written in English which they could not understand.

A detailed report of the matter will be sent to the government, the CMO said.

In a tweet in Hindi on Saturday, Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who also holds the health portfolio, said he has sent a health department team to the hospital to investigate the matter.

“If the complaint is found correct, orders have been given to the CMO, Bareilly, to register an FIR against the guilty doctor and hospital management, to cancel the registration of the said hospital with immediate effect, and to make the complete report of the proceedings available within 24 hours,” Pathak had said.

He said the hospital would be sealed if the investigation finds reasons to do so, he added.

Bareilly District Magistrate Shivakant Dwivedi on Sunday said action against the hospital management will be taken only after the report of the three-member probe team constituted by the Chief Medical Officer comes.

The team was formed on Friday when the alleged incident took place.

According to the Chief Medical Officer, the family had gone to the hospital for the treatment of the child's stammer where they were suggested a tongue surgery.

However, the child's family alleged the doctors circumcised the child rather than performing a tongue surgery.

The matter evoked a strong response from members of Hindu right organisations, who staged protests and raised slogans against the hospital. Police were deployed outside the hospital to contain the agitation and prevent it from flaring up.