Kerala Toddler Dies After Anesthesia, Lip Injury Probe

A one-and-a-half-year-old boy has died following complications after being administered anaesthesia for a minor lip injury, prompting a police investigation and allegations of medical negligence in Kerala's Kannur district. The child, Devansh Shouria, passed away on the night of July 10 at a private hospital in Kannur after his condition deteriorated for five days.

According to police and family accounts, the toddler sustained a cut on his lip after falling while playing at his home in Eramam-Kuttoor on July 5. He was first given aid at a local health centre before being taken to Baby Memorial Hospital in Payyannur for suturing. Doctors at the hospital advised stitching the wound under anaesthesia. The child's family alleges he lost consciousness immediately after the anaesthetic was administered and never regained it.

Following the incident, the child was shifted to the hospital's advanced care unit in Kannur, where he died at approximately 9 p.m. on July 10. A relative filed a formal complaint with Payyannur police, leading to a case being registered against the attending anaesthetist, Dr. Anjali Poduval. The case has been filed under Section 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya...