In a shocking instance of medical negligence, a doctor at Kozhikode Medical College performed surgery on a four-year-old girl’s tongue instead of her finger. The child, who was supposed to undergo an operation to remove a sixth finger, emerged from the procedure with an operated tongue, leaving her family horrified.

The incident led to the suspension of Associate Professor Dr. Bijon Johnson by State Health Minister Veena George. The suspension followed a report submitted by the Director of Medical Education, highlighting the gravity of the error.

The girl’s family has filed a police complaint against Dr. Johnson under IPC Sections 336 (endangering the life or personal safety of others) and 337 (causing hurt by an act endangering the life or personal safety of others). The family expressed their outrage, describing the doctor’s actions as “shameful” and asserting that the child had no pre-existing issues with her tongue.

According to hospital authorities, the error occurred when Dr. Johnson noticed a cyst on the girl’s tongue during the procedure and decided to remove it. The Superintendent of the Mother and Child Department at Kozhikode Medical College explained that the cyst was discovered when the child cried, prompting the decision to address it surgically.

However, the girl’s family refuted the hospital’s explanation, insisting that no such problem existed and attributing the mistake to a mix-up with two surgeries scheduled for the same day. The family is now seeking accountability and justice for the distress caused to their child.