Nose Operation To Wrong Man

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29851, 18 June 1962, Page 12

Nose Operation To Wrong Man

(New Zealand Press Association)

INVERCARGILL, June 17.

An Invercargill man was taken into the operating theatre at Kew Hospital last week and given an operation meant for another man.

The man, who was - admitted to hospital to have an operation on his leg, found when he came out of the anaesthetic that an operation had been performed on his nose. This operation was not required, but the Medical Superintendent (Dr. H. Hunter) said there was a defect in the man’s nose.

When the mistake was found the man was asked for his permission to have the leg operation performed This was given. Tonight Dr. Hunter blamed the shortage of nurses and said that nurses were overworked.

The Lady Superintendent. Miss C. M ’Lucas, said there was a full quota of nurses at the time. The secretary of the Southland Hospital Board. Mr T. Miles and the chairman. Mr J. A. Cushen, both refused to comment.

“One factor contributing to the mix-up is that we are

short of nurses." said Dr. Hunter. “Really, though, we haven’t much of an excuse to put forward.” He said the mix-up was not the doctor’s fault. The doctor was there to operate on people who required operations. Miss Lucas said there were two periods of the year when nurses had holidays. “It is one of those periods now, but this could not possibly have anything to do with what happened.”