Agartala, Sept 30 (TIWN) The Tripura health minister Monday indicated to suspend seven medical staffs, including four doctors, for cutting open a patient’s lower abdomen and operated upon the urethra instead of conducting a biopsy of his mouth at the government medical college here recently.Tripura health minister Tapan Chakraborty said : “In view of the report of an inquiring committee, the health department has served show cause notices to four doctors and three health staffs.”

“After getting the replies of the show cause notices, the government would take stern exemplary action against the erring medical personnel to prevent reoccurrence of such incident in future,” Mr Chakraborty told the Tripura assembly.

He said : “The committee headed by health department director Dr Satya Ranjan Debbarma has found negligence by the medical team which carried out the flawed operation of one Ratan Das, 53. The committee last week submitted its report to the government.”

The minister told the house that the mistake occurred at the medical college as another patient also named Ratan Das,45, with abdomen and urethra-related problems was admitted to the hospital.

The issue rocked the ongoing monsoon session of the Tripura assembly and the civil society forcing the government to order for a probe into the matter.

Following the advice of senior doctors, Ratan Das, 53, a small-time trader from southern Tripura’s Ampi area was admitted to the Gobinda Ballav Pant Medical College and Hospital earlier this month. He was to undergo a biopsy of his mouth. But the doctors conducted surgery on his lower abdomen and urethra instead on Sept 13.

Ratan Das’s wife Jhulan has filed a complaint with the police, health minister and other authorities demanding severe action against the offender medical staffs.

The East Kotwali police is inquiring the matter.

Cutting across party line, legislators belonging to both ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist and Congress have been demanding strict action against the negligent medical staffs and take steps to prevent such occurrence in future.