Officials at a hospital in western Germany have expressed regret after it emerged that one of their surgeons got a cleaner to assist in a toe amputationBERLIN -- Officials at a hospital in western Germany have expressed regret after it emerged that one of their surgeons got a cleaner to assist in a toe amputation. Public broadcaster SWR reported Friday that the incident at the Mainz University Hospital, which happened in 2020, didn't result in any complications to the patient but the doctor has since been fired. The hospital's chief executive, Norbert Pfeiffer, said the surgeon wrongly decided to go ahead with the routine procedure even though no qualified assistant was available, SWR reported. The incident came to light after a hospital manager spotted the cleaner — bloody gauze pads in hand — in the operating theater, it reported. “This should never have happened,” German news agency dpa quoted Pfeiffer as saying.

Source: ABC News May 19, 2023 18:34 UTC