Kidney Mistake Result Of 'Human Error'

"Human Error" has been given as the reason for a mistake, which led to the wrong kidney being removed from an eight-year-old boy in 2008.

Giving evidence today at a Medical Council inquiry, consultant surgeon Professor Martin Corbally said he had written down the wrong kidney in his notes for the operation.

The surgeon said he was unavailable to carry out the subsequent operation where the wrong, healthy kidney was eventually removed.

Giving evidence today at a Medical Council inquiry, he said he felt great pity and sadness that the concerns raised by the boy's parents before the operation had not been listened to.

Prof Corbally said he may have been distracted and a human error occurred. The error was not spotted until after the wrong operation was performed.

Prof Corbally said he wanted to again apologise to the parents and that the hospital now has a policy for marking the site of planned surgery, before the operation.

In other medical news this morning, Fine Gael Front Bench Louth TD Fergus O’Dowd has accused the HSE of trying to cover up the use of out-of-date scanners in the north east region.

Inadequate scanning machines being used at the hospital led a mother being erroneously informed her baby had died in the womb due to an inaccurate scan.

Mr O'Dowd said he was "horrified" to learn up to five ultrasound scanners in the region were either out of date or faulty.

"It looks like the HSE has deliberately ignored a warning by consultant obstetrician Dr Seosamh Ó Coigligh to replace all the machines," he said.

Mr O'Dowd added: “Clearly the HSE did not want this scandal to emerge in public. It would be nice to think the HSE was as concerned about the welfare of its patients, as it is about protecting its own reputation. I challenge Health Minister Mary Harney to immediately investigate this appalling situation.”

(DW/GK)