Health Minister UT Khader sets up new panel to review treatment of brain-damaged child at private hospital
A 14-month-old boy was taken to Cloudnine Hospital on July 26 for emergency surgical repair of a full-thickness ear laceration. | Image for illustration only | Photo credit: shapecharge
Karnataka Health Minister UT Khader has constituted a new expert committee comprising doctors from NIMHANS, Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health (IGICH) and the State Health Department to review the treatment of a child who suffered severe brain damage after an ear surgery at Cloudnine Hospital in Nagarabhavi in July.
The committee will examine the infant’s condition and recommend further treatment to maximize his chances of recovery. The hospital has also been asked to bring in specialists and experts, including doctors from outside Karnataka, if required.
The move follows a meeting between the child’s family and Mr Khader on Thursday (November 5), where they demanded justice and demanded that the hospital take responsibility for the child’s treatment.
Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Khader said the government wanted the child to recover and return home in good health, but the immediate priority was to ensure that he received the best possible medical care.
“We have asked the hospital to bring in specialists and experts to give the boy the best treatment. I have also appointed another committee to look into the case and recommend what can best be done and other interventions to help the child recover,” he said.
An expert panel identifies anesthesia failures
The 14-month-old boy, son of Sampath Kumar KP of Kattedoddi village in Mandya district, was rushed to Cloudnine Hospital on July 26 for emergency surgical repair of a full-thickness laceration in his ear. During the procedure, he suffered a cardiac arrest in the operating room, resulting in a severe brain injury due to lack of oxygen.
An expert panel constituted by the health ministry, comprising an anesthetist and a pediatrician from the state-run Sir CV Ramana General Hospital, identified critical errors in the administration of anaesthesia. The report said that while the operating theater was adequately equipped, the attending anesthetist was not adequately trained to administer anesthesia to young children.
The panel found that an attempt to intubate the child resulted in hypoxia, bradycardia and cardiac arrest. While hospital records indicated the cardiac arrest was reversed within seven minutes, the commission said brain hypoxia persisted for 15 to 20 minutes and caused severe, irreversible damage. An MRI scan performed three days later confirmed partial prolonged hypoxic-ischemic brain damage.
Case referred to KMC
The Bengaluru district health officer and the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Grievance Redressal Authority (KPME) reviewed the expert panel’s findings and the parents’ submissions at the October 8 hearing.
Realizing that the findings indicated prima facie medical negligence, the district health officer handed over the case records to the president of the Karnataka Medical Council (KMC) on October 12 for investigation and disciplinary action.
Kumaraswamy demands free treatment
Union Heavy Industries and Steel Minister HD Kumaraswamy criticized the hospital management for not taking responsibility for the child’s condition. He demanded that Cloudnine provide the treatment free of charge or that the state government bear the cost.
“The indifference of the hospital management is unacceptable. Solve the problem immediately, otherwise I will have to come to the hospital myself,” he warned.
He also urged the Ministry of Health to monitor private hospitals and take action in cases of alleged medical negligence.
Published – 07 Nov 2026 21:16 IST