TN suspends Pvt hospital for 10 days for unauthorized access to theater of operations

YouTuber Irfan Row: The Tamil Nadu Health Department has suspended patient care activities at a private hospital for 10 days after a viral video showed popular YouTuber Irfan walking into an operating room and cutting the umbilical cord of his newborn. The incident took place at the Rainbow Children’s Hospital in Sholinganallur, Chennai, prompting swift action by the Directorate of Rural Health and Medical Services (DMS).

DMS on Wednesday withdrew the hospital’s registration under the Clinical Establishment Act, barring it from patient care activities, from October 24, according to a Deccan Herald report. The hospital can only continue to treat prenatal patients already under its care. In addition, the hospital was fined Rs 50,000 for allowing a non-professional to enter a restricted area.

The controversy erupted after Irfan’s video, which showed his wife giving birth in the hospital, went viral, garnering more than 3.3 million views on 21 October. The footage showed the YouTuber inside the operating room, where he was seen cutting the umbilical cord, a routine act. reserved for medical professionals. After the video caught the attention of health authorities, it was removed from social media platforms.

J Rajamoorthy, director of Rural Health and Medical Services, issued the suspension order. The situation escalated further with a complaint against the attending physician, Dr Niveditha, who allegedly allowed Irfan’s participation in the procedure, India Today reported. The complaint, filed with the State Medical Council, raised questions about the doctor’s professional conduct.

Commenting on the issue, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian slammed the incident, calling Irfan’s actions “offensive” and a clear violation of medical protocols under the National Medical Commission Act, 2021 , according to the report. The minister confirmed that a formal complaint had been lodged at the Semmanjeri police station against both the YouTuber and the doctor involved.

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