Mumbai: Five-year-old loses finger in 'minor' accident

Five-year-old Jivika Mistri's finger could not be fixed due to delayed medical attention

Five-year-old Jivika Mistri's mother was shocked to death last Thursday, when she reached her daughter's school to receive her. The authorities had called her up saying that Jivika met with a ‘minor' accident. Her little finger, which got cut from the middle, was bleeding profusely and she was writhing in pain. Thakur International School did not bother to provide her emergency medical services and kept her waiting till her mother arrived. Reacting to this inhuman behaviour, her parents filed an FIR against the school administration with the Kandivali police.

More than 500 parents staged a protest outside the school, after they came to know about the incident

Major damage
Jivika, who underwent a surgery at Kokilaben Hospital in Andheri, would be discharged soon. However, her finger could not be fixed due to delayed medical attention.

Medical attention delayed
Speaking to mid-day, Jivika's father Hemant Mistri said, "When my wife reached the school, Jivika's hand was covered in a cloth and she was crying in pain. The school administration handed over the broken part of the finger in a polythene bag to my wife. After that they called an auto and asked her to take my daughter to a hospital."

He further said, "It was complete negligence on the part of the school authorities to have kept her waiting in pain for such a long time. They could have immediately taken her to a nearby hospital and asked us to reach the place.

Moreover, they did not tell us over phone that it was such a major accident. She suffered so much of blood loss that she could have died. Her hemoglobin level had dropped to 6, which should ideally be 14 in children."

When contacted, an officer of Kandivali police station said, "A case has been registered against the school under section 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of IPC. Further investigations are on."