Man’s severed leg used as pillow in Jhansi medical college, probe ordered

A road accident victim’s severed leg was allegedly used as a pillow to prop him up in the emergency ward of a government-run hospital in Jhansi on Saturday, prompting the authorities to order a probe into the incident.

The incident at the Maharani Laxmi Bai Jhansi Medical College is the latest in several controversies to have hit Uttar Pradesh’s healthcare, including the death of several children at a Gorakhpur hospital last year allegedly due to oxygen shortage.

A four-member committee was constituted to find out who put the severed leg under the patient’s head, said Dr Sadhna Kaushik, principal of the medical college.

“Dr Rajeev Sinha (head of department of surgery) heads the committee, which will give its report in 48 hours. Action will be based on the findings of the report,” she said.

Dr Kaushik said the case appeared to be the result of mischief.

“I have spoken to 30 people in the emergency (ward), no one saw any staffer doing it,” she said.

ANI quoted her as saying that the “patient’s attendant used the leg” as a pillow.

The victim, Ghanshyam, 28, was brought to the medical college in a critical condition on Saturday afternoon, the medical college principal said.

He was the cleaner of a school bus which met with an accident in Mauranipur, 65 km from Jhansi, the police said

The bus of Deepak Memorial School was on way to the school when the vehicle overturned as the driver tried to avoid a collision with a tractor-trolley. Nearly a dozen children were injured in the accident.

Ghanshyam lost his leg in the accident and was sent to the Jhansi medical college after preliminary treatment at a local health centre.

Ghanshyam’s brother, mother and other relatives accompanied him to the medical college and brought the severed leg, said Dr Kaushik.

The medical college principal said a woman who had the limb with her did not give it to doctors or other medical staff after the medico-legal formalities were completed.

But Ghanshyam’s mother Devki told the authorities that the doctor put the leg under his head as a pillow was not available, said local journalists who spoke to the family.

The family had brought one pillow, which the doctors used to support Ghanshyam’s thigh on the stretcher.

The medical college authorities said the CCTV footage would be examined to find out as to who was responsible for the “shameful act”.

Chief medical superintendent Harish Chandra Arya said stringent action will be taken against the guilty after the inquiry.