Nurse's services should be terminated: Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata, Jul 14: Sending out a strong message against medical negligence in state government hospitals, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said the nurse who had severed a thumb of an infant boy while trying to remove a bandage should be terminated from services.

Banerjee's statement comes a day after a nurse severed the thumb of an eight-day-old boy at a government hospital in north Bengal's Balurghat while trying to remove a bandage. "Such medical negligence should not be tolerated.

She (the nurse) has been suspended, but I feel she should be terminated from services immediately. She has no right to work. Because this is not just negligence, but crime. You can't just neglect your patients," Banerjee said.

The infant was admitted to the Sick and Neo-natal Care Unit in the hospital with diarrhoea on July 6 and his left palm was covered with bandage to administer saline. As the infant's condition improved, the bandage was being removed on Sunday night when she allegedly severed the boy's thumb and then threw it in a dustbin.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Sukumar De said he has ordered an investigation into the matter and the accused nurse has been sent for five days leave. The infant's father also lodged a complaint with the police over the incident.

PTI