Boy Suffers Brain Damage, Almost Bleed to Death After Circumcision

circumcision Portage Clinic Brain Damage General Hospital

By Camille Hutchison , Parent Herald Jul 10, 02:18 pm

A boy suffered permanent brain damage after he bled into his diapers all day following his circumcision. After the boy was circumcised, he has now motor impairment, and impaired vision and speech.

The mother says they have twice been turned away from an emergency department in Manitoba when they sought care.

She sued the Southern Health region and three healthcare workers in the city of Portage la Prairie, asserting that her son didn't receive timely medical attention way back in 2017. The defense statements had yet to be filed and none of the allegations have been proven in court.

Health Authority states that she has not yet been served.

Martin Pollock, the lawyer of the mother, stated that the parents of the child were emotionally upset by their son's constant bleeding.

The statement of the boy's mother was filed on June 22 of this year with the Manitoba Court of Queen's Bench, CBC reported.

Parents Fighting for Justice

The child, who is not named due to private health information, was born healthy by his mother, according to the statement of claim.

When the boy was one month old, he was taken in August to the Portage Clinic to be circumcised by a doctor. Such circumcision is part of the family's Muslim faith.

Approximately four hours after the circumcision, the parents decided to open their son's diaper and found out he was soaked in blood down there.

When they found out that the boy's diapers were bloodstained, they immediately took him back to the clinic to see the doctor who performed the circumcision. The doctor is accused of not performing the circumcision accurately and not looking properly after the baby's care.

The doctor checked the situation of the baby, put Vaseline on him, and sent him home to his parents.

The parents took the baby home but later that night, the baby became paler and started having difficulty with breathing. They again quickly rushed him back to the hospital around 2:40 in the morning, the statement of claim says, per CA News.

Lawsuit Filed Against Southern Health Region and Three Healthcare Workers

According to Eng Tusresiduos, the nurse had a hard time communicating with the family as they cannot speak English very well but told the family that situation was not an emergency.

The family was sent back to the waiting room because there were no exam rooms available.

They waited but around 10:30 in the evening, the father approached and talked to the nurse that the baby had been soaked in blood since morning. The nurse responded that there were patients who needed more urgent care and explained to the family that the situation was not an emergency and there was no need to worry.

The boy's father told the nurse that if it wasn't an emergency, they should go home and the nurse allowed them. She did not check the baby's diaper or even inspect the circumcision before leaving the hospital, according to the lawsuit.