Oz hospital terminates wrong fetus: report

On Tuesday,the wrong baby was injected,terminating the healthy pregnancy. The mother then had an emergency cesarean section and the sick child was also terminated in a three-hour operation.

The Royal Women8217;s Hospital in Melbourne would not confirm details,but said Thursday a distressing clinical accident occurred on Tuesday.

This is a terrible tragedy and the hospital is deeply sorry for the loss suffered by the patient and her family,said Australia8217;s largest hospital specialising in women patients.

We are conducting a full investigation and continue to offer the family and affected staff every support,it added.

An unnamed friend of the mother told the newspaper that she was struggling to cope with the tragic error. She went to the hospital with two babies and now she has none,the friend said. And she had the heartache of giving birth to her sick baby. She8217;s traumatised,the friend added.

Health Services Commissioner Beth Wilson,the government watchdog for the health sector in Victoria state,said she had never heard of a mistake like it. It would have been complicated,however that doesn8217;t mean the greatest care shouldn8217;t still be taken,said Wilson to the Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio.

Lorraine Long,founder of Medical Error Action Group,an advocate for aggrieved patients,described the case as shocking. How they could get that so wrong after pinpointing what was wrong and then doing it incorrectly makes me speechless,said Long.