The Bihar government has initiated an inquiry into the alleged negligence of hospital staffers in providing primary treatment to a man whose leg was fractured in a road accident in Begusarai district, a senior medical officer said on Friday.
Inquiry Initiated Into 'Use Of Cartons As Splint' To Treat Fracture In Bihar Hospital
Hospital authorities said cardboard is an accepted first-aid alternative when standard fracture splints are unavailable, while the district administration investigates the circumstances behind the treatment
The incident took place on July 15 but came to light after a video purportedly showing the patient, with cartons tied to his fractured leg as a splint, was widely circulated on social media.
On the night of July 15, Krishna Kumar, a resident of Maheshwara village in Navkothi police station area, was seriously injured in a road accident, and taken to Manjhaul Sub-divisional Hospital, officials said.
"Although it cannot be called medical negligence because the process was used as a life-saving mechanism, we have initiated an inquiry to figure out the circumstances under which the procedure was carried out," Begusarai Civil Surgeon Ashok Kumar told PTI.
After immobilising the fractured part of the patient's lower limb at Manjhaul Sub-divisional Hospital, the staffers referred him to Begusarai Sadar Hospital where he was treated successfully, he said.
The video went viral on social media long after the patient was discharged post-treatment, Kumar added.
District Magistrate Srikant Shastri also directed the Manjhaul Sub-divisional Officer to conduct an inquiry into the matter.
"In cases of fractures, the foremost priority is to prevent movement of the injured limb. If a standard fracture splint is unavailable, using cardboard, wood or any other rigid material as a temporary splint is an accepted medical first-aid practice," Hospital in-charge Abhinav Priyadarshi said.
This helps prevent further displacement of the fractured bone during transportation and reduces additional pain to the patient, he added.
Hospital manager Gauri Shankar said the medical establishment has a limited number of orthopaedic specialists and faces shortages of several essential resources, including fracture splints.
Despite these constraints, efforts are being made to provide safe and effective treatment with the available resources, he added.
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