The case of a nine-year-old girl in Kerala who lost her hand after alleged lapses in hospital care has once again spotlighted a troubling issue: many amputations in India are not inevitable, but occur because fractures and wounds are not treated promptly or adequately. Doctors explain how neglect, systemic gaps and lack of awareness create conditions where preventable infections escalate to limb loss.

When the “golden hour” is lost

The earliest hours after a fracture or traumatic wound determine whether a patient heals or risks losing a limb. Navaladi Shankar, senior consultant, orthopaedics at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, stresses that untreated fractures create the perfect environment for infection.

“The haematoma at the fracture site forms a good culture medium for bacteria. If deb

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