Meet education, health expenses of child who lost hand till she turns 21: panel

The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has directed the Palakkad District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) to ensure that the government meets the education expenses of a girl whose hand had to be amputated last year. It has also asked the Health department to fully meet her treatment expenses.

The Commission Chairman K.V. Manoj Kumar and member Shajesh Bhaskar suo motu took action on the basis of newspaper reports and the complaints received by it in connection with the incident that occurred in September last year.

The nine-year-old girl had injured her hand while playing on September 24 last year. After initial treatment at government taluk hospital in Chittur, she was seen by an orthopaedic doctor at Government District Hospital, Palakkad, the same day.

Since there were two fractures on her right hand, it was plastered and she was asked to visit the orthopaedics out-patient (OP) the next day, a report of the DMO said. The next day, the girl was prescribed pain medication and asked to return after five days since no problems were detected during physical examination or in the X-ray. Oral instructions were given to the child to move her fingers and return to the hospital in case of increase in pain, swelling, or discolouration.

When she returned after five days on September 30, the plaster cast was removed and it was found that she had severe pain, swelling in the fingers, and discolouration of the hand. After treatment was provided, the girl was referred to Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, where her hand had to be amputated.

On October 5, a junior resident and a junior consultant at the Palakkad district hospital were suspended pending inquiry following an order of the Health Joint Secretary. A detailed inquiry by the Director of Health Services found that there had been no lapses on the part of the doctors. The government then asked an expert committee to inquire into the incident.

However, the commission surmised that the doctors had failed to communicate to the child and her parents the gravity of the situation or that swelling or discolouration could lead to compartment syndrome, a serious medical condition.

The commission was informed that the child had been sanctioned Rs.2 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund. Following the intervention of then Leader of the Opposition and the current Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, the girl had been fitted with an artificial limb and her family was provided land for building a house.

Since the government had also agreed to bear her education expenses, the DCPO should ensure that it was being provided to the girl till she was 18 and during the after-care period until she is 21, the commission said. The DCPO should take steps for the child to get the Mission Vatsalya central scholarship amount and any psychological support required by her, the commission said. The DMO should monitor that her treatment expenses were being met by the government till she was 21.

The commission tasked the Chief Secretary with ensuring that the girl is provided a job commensurate with her educational qualifications once she attains adulthood, noting that she had suffered permanent disability due to lapses in the government system.