Tamil Nadu Orders Probe into Operation by Minor

The Tamil Nadu government has ordered an inquiry into the alleged incident of a 15-year-old boy performing a caesarean section operation, an official said Thursday.

In April, Dileepan Raj, a Class X student, performed a caesarean section operation under his parents' supervision at the Mathi Surgical and Maternity Hospital in Manapparai, about 450 km from the state capital Chennai.

Dipeean's parents K. Murugesan and Gandhimathi are medical practitioners and wanted him to enter record books as the youngest surgeon in the world.

At a meeting of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) on May 6, Murugesan told doctors that his son had performed the gynaecological procedure.

Murugesan showed a CD of the operation to the shocked IMA gathering. Doctors said that when he was criticized Murugesan said he was not doing anything illegal. He argued that if a 10-year-old is allowed to drive a car and if a 15-year-old could graduate as a doctor in the US then his son can perform a surgery.

The Manapparai branch of the IMA then held an urgent meeting and sent a report to the IMA committee in Chennai demanding action against the family. The IMA, however, does not have any power to take legal action nor does it have the CD as evidence.

Tiruchirapally District Collector Ashis Vachhani said he has ordered an inquiry into the incident. "The report will be available later this week and strict action will be taken".

Murugesan later retracted his claim and said his son had "looked on in curiosity and had not performed the surgery".

According to local media reports, the relatives of the woman on whom the surgery was performed have said that both mother and child are fine.

Source-IANS
LIN/M