Rizwan, a resident of Bandongri in Malad, was first admitted to the S K Patil Municipal Hospital at Malad (E) with mild gastroenteritis on May 12. Two days later, he was discharged but the symptoms returned the next day. This time, Rizwan's parents took him to M W Desai Municipal Hospital, Malad (E), where he was admitted to the paedriatic ward on May 15.

His mother Salma recalls that the nurse on duty had tried to insert an intravenous needle into her son's arm but she was having difficulty locating a vein.``Finally, she forced the needle in at some point, even though the child was howling with pain,'' Salma told Express Newsline. Tears welling up, she adds: ``I begged her to remove the needle since my son was continuously crying and blood began to ooze from his arm.

``But she snapped at me and told me to keep quiet. How could I tell that the boy was crying because of the needle, she had said. With the needle in the arm the entire night, the spot began to turn black. It was at this point that the hospital authorities realised that something was wrong,'' she recounts. Senior doctors then told the mother that the child would be transferred to KEM Hospital for further treatment on May 17. On May 21, Rizwan's right arm was amputated at the shoulder by paedriatic surgeons and he was discharged on June 2.

Dr S S Borwankar, professor and head of paedriactic surgery, KEM Hospital, told Express Newsline that the arm was dead and had already turned black by the time the child was brought to KEMHospital. ``There was no way the arm could have been saved and the only option was to amputate it to prevent the gangrene from spreading,'' he explained. Experts at the hospital say if the intravenous needle was badly inserted it could have damaged some nerves and blocked blood vessels, causing the gangrene.

However, chief medical officer, M W Desai Muncipal Hospital, Dr A A Chaubal claims the child had received the best possible treatment at the hospital and that he had been transferred to KEM Hospital when he required specialised treatment. She denied there was any negligence by the M W Desai Hospital staff but added that the matter has been referred to an expert for inquiry. ``Only then will we know how the child developed gangrene,'' she told Express Newsline.

Senior Inspector of the Dindoshi police station, K A Gawde, says the child's family had filed a complaint and that they are investigating the matter. Gawde says: ``The main problem seems to be that the municipal hospital at Malad does nothave the facilities to treat a patient, and they should have transferred the child without wasting time. This would probably have saved the child's arm.''

But for Sattars, their troubles have just begun. ``Obviously, Rizwan does not know what has happened. But when he grows up he will ask me how he lost his right arm. What will I tell him,'' Salma says. The absence of his arm has also upset Rizwan's balance and he is unable to support himself properly. ``How will he learn to walk,'' she cries.

Says Rizwan's cousin: ``The boy's father is a daily wager and cannot afford even simple medicines and the diet recommended during the treatment.''