LUCKNOW, India – A prominent doctor in northern India was arrested after he allowed his unqualified daughter-in-law to carry out an operation that caused a patient to lose her uterus, a medical official said Tuesday.
It was the second high-profile unlicensed surgery case in India in recent months, following the arrest of a doctor who had his 15-year-old son perform a Caesarean section in an attempt to establish a record as the world's youngest surgeon.
The woman, who was in her fifth month of pregnancy, was admitted to a private clinic in the city of Aligarh on July 9 complaining of abdominal pains, said Dr. R. C. Chadha, the city's chief medical officer, who conducted the inquiry.
She was examined by Dr. G.S. Verma, who said the fetus had died and recommended surgically removing it. However, the surgery was carried out by the doctor's daughter-in-law, Chadha said.
"The lady who performed operation has no medical degree. She is just a teacher, whose father-in law is a prestigious doctor of the city," said Chadha.
It was not clear why the daughter-in-law was allowed to perform the surgery and she has since fled the area, Chadha said. The doctor was in custody and could not be reached for comment.
According to the investigation, the daughter-in-law botched the operation and the patient bled profusely. The patient then was taken to another hospital where an examination showed her uterus had been torn open and would have to be removed. Another operation was carried out.
"She will now never be able to conceive," Chadha said.
The patient's husband filed a complaint with police, who shut down the clinic and arrested the doctor, Chadha said.
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