TN suspends private hospital for 10 days due to unauthorized access to operations center

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

On Wednesday, the DMS withdrew the hospital’s registration under the Clinical Establishment Act, barring it from patient care activities, from October 24, as per a Deccan Herald report. The hospital is only allowed to continue treating prenatal patients already under its care. Additionally, the hospital was fined Rs 50,000 for allowing a non-professional to enter a restricted area.

The controversy arose after Irfan’s video, which showed his wife giving birth in hospital, went viral, racking up more than 3.3 million views as of October 21. The footage showed the YouTuber inside the operating room, where he was seen cutting the umbilical cord, an act typically 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 lodged against the attending physician, Dr Niveditha, who allegedly allowed Irfan’s involvement in the procedure, India Today reported. The complaint, filed with the State Council of Medicine, raised doubts about the doctor’s professional conduct.

Commenting on the matter, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian criticized the incident, calling Irfan’s actions “offensive” and a clear violation of medical protocols under the National Medical Commission Act, 2021, as per the report. The Minister confirmed that a formal complaint was filed at the Semmanjeri Police Station against the YouTuber and the doctor involved.

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