In an unheard-of incident, a nurse at the state-run NRS Medical College Hospital handed over two amputated legs of a patient to his elder brother raising questions on the disposal system of bio-medical wastes generated at the premier teaching hospital.

A senior administrative officer of the hospital said, “I have heard about the incident and am looking into it. Post-surgical amputated parts of patients are given to their relatives if the latter demand. But proper counselling of patients’ relatives should be organized by the medical staff, including concerned doctors and nurses, before handing over post-surgical body parts of patients. In this case I will have to find out what actually happened on that day.”

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The incident occurred on Monday when Md Raj, a resident of Tangra in the city got stuck in the gap between a train and platform at Lakshmikantapur station in South 24-Parganas. Both legs of Raj were severely injured. He was rushed to NRS Medical College Hospital’s emergency ward by his friends.

Doctors at the emergency amputated both his legs considering the seriousness of his injuries. Family members of Raj alleged that a nurse in the operation theatre (OT) surprisingly handed over the amputated legs to his elder brother to take it home. The elder brother, along with the two amputated legs, came out of the OT and met Raj at the general ward where the latter was shifted to postsurgery.

But another nurse in the general ward saw the elder brother carrying the two legs talking to the patient. The elder brother along with the legs got out of the ward after the nurse rebuked him. But guards caught him at the gate with his legs. Policemen took him to the emergency OT and seized the body parts from him. Sources at the hospital said that the amputated legs have been sent to the police morgue inside the hospital premises for post-mortem.

Taking lessons from the incident, the hospital authorities have decided to streamline the bio-medical waste disposal process so that no such case can happen again, the sources said requesting anonymity.