18-Month-Old Baby Dies After Plastic Surgery On Face, Parents Allege Negligence

A one-and-a-half-year-old girl died Tuesday in India after she underwent plastic surgery to hide a scar on her face.

Following the toddler's death, the parents alleged negligence in the case. The police in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh filed a complaint after the victim's parents blamed the doctors and nursing staff of Yatharth Hospital in Greater Noida for negligence.

In the complaint, the victim's father – identified as Satendra Yadav – said his daughter sustained an injury to her nose while playing on Dec. 18.

"After treating her for the injury, the doctors at the hospital advised us to get plastic surgery done on my daughter as her injury would leave a mark on her face. After discussing with my wife, we agreed to get the surgery done the following day on Dec. 19," stated the complaint, according to the Hindustan Times.

Following the surgery, the unidentified girl was found unresponsive and was declared dead the same evening.

"The time of the surgery was 1.30 pm and around 2.30 pm she was taken out of the operation theater. Around 4.30 pm she was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit, where the doctors told us that our daughter is fine. However, we could see that she was not responsive. Later, around 9.30 pm, we called the nursing staff to check on our daughter, and they declared her dead," the complaint mentioned.

A case was filed, and the doctors and nurses of the hospital were booked under sections 304A (death due to negligence) and 270 (whoever malignantly does any act which is likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to the life) of the Indian Penal Code.

"All preliminary tests were done by the hospital before conducting the surgery on the child as she was found healthy and fit for the same. The child was responsive after the surgery and was given back to the care of the mother. Later, the baby had a sudden cardiac arrest from which she could not be resuscitated by the doctors," Dr Sunil Balyan, chief medical superintendent at Yatharth Hospital, said.

An investigation is currently underway into the mysterious death of the child.

The suspects in the case have been questioned, but no arrests have been made so far, authorities said, according to The Indian Express.