Nurse who severed infant’s thumb should be fired: Mamata Banerjee

She said the work of health and education officials are of the most serious nature and needed undivided attention. “Speaking over the mobile phone while removing a bandage can be very dangerous. Will a pilot speak over the phone while flying a plane,” Mamata asked.

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The CM said that she knew about the long working hours of health officials but added that she will not tolerate negligence. “I want to tell the ward boys that people come here for treatment from far away places and should not be ill-treated,” she said.

The infant was admitted to the sick and neo-natal care unit in the hospital with diarrhoea on July 6 and his left palm was covered with bandage to administer saline. As the infant’s condition improved, the bandage was being removed on Sunday night when she allegedly severed the boy’s thumb and then threw it in a dustbin.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Sukumar De said he has ordered an investigation into the matter and the accused nurse has been suspended.

He said the child was being taken to Kolkata for further treatment.

Meanwhile, Mamata inaugurated a paediatric cath lab unit at SSKM Hospital, an advanced sleep lab unit at the Institute of Psychiatry and the newly-constructed building of the Institute of Psychiatry (IOP).

Also present at the occasion with her was state urban development minister Firhad Hakim, TMC MP Subrata Bakshi, state medical council president Dr Nirmal Maji, state health secretary Malay De and the newly-appointed director of SSKM, Dr Manju Banerjee.

“The paediatric cath lab unit is second only to one at AIIMS in the country and would be useful for treatment of children between the age of one day and 18 months. We will also start a cord blood bank within a month,” Mamata said.