A shocking case of medical negligence unfolded at Madhya Pradesh's largest state-run hospital, where a one-and-a-half-month-old infant's thumb was accidentally severed by a nurse. The incident occurred at Indore's Maharaja Yashwantrao (MY) Hospital on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, inside the paediatric ward.
Details of the Tragic Incident
The baby was undergoing treatment for pneumonia and was in recovery after being on ventilator support. According to hospital authorities, the tragic accident happened when a nurse attempted to remove a venflon, or intravenous cannula, from the infant. Dr. Arvind Ghanghoria, the Dean of MGM Medical College which oversees MY Hospital, stated that the nurse used scissors to cut away the adhesive bandage securing the IV line, and in the process, accidentally severed the child's thumb.
Medical staff acted swiftly following the grievous error. The infant was immediately shifted to the Super Speciality Hospital within the complex, where a surgical team performed an emergency procedure. The operation to reattach the severed thumb was successful. Hospital officials confirmed that the child is now stable and has been taken off ventilation.
Immediate Action and Disciplinary Measures
The hospital administration took prompt disciplinary action in response to the lapse. The nurse directly involved in the incident has been suspended from duty on charges of negligence. Furthermore, demonstrating accountability for supervisory failure, the hospital has also decided to dock the one-month salaries of three senior nurses who were supervising the ward at the time.
Dr. Ghanghoria directed the hospital superintendent to form a committee to investigate how such a serious lapse could occur. The committee has been asked to submit its findings within 24 hours. The inquiry panel is headed by Superintendent Dr. Ashok Yadav and includes paediatrician Dr. Nirbhay Mehta, Deputy Superintendent Dr. Rohit Baderia, and Nursing Superintendent Dayavati Dayal. Statements from the staff on duty are currently being recorded as part of the probe.
A Hospital Under Scrutiny
This is not the first time the 3,000-bed MY Hospital, a central pillar of public healthcare in Madhya Pradesh, has faced public scrutiny. Last year, the hospital was in the headlines following the deaths of two newborns in its neonatal unit, in an incident initially linked to possible rat bites. While post-mortem findings later attributed the deaths to complications of prematurity, the cases raised serious questions about hospital safety protocols and hygiene.
The latest incident involving the infant has once again cast a spotlight on the standards of care and procedural safety in one of the state's most crucial medical facilities. The swift surgical response saved the child's thumb, but the administrative inquiry will now seek to uncover the systemic or training failures that led to the nurse's catastrophic error.
