Palakkad (Kerala) | Activists of the opposition BJP on Saturday staged a protest march to the government district hospital here, alleging medical negligence in the recent amputation of a nine-year-old girl's arm.

The protesters raised slogans against the treating doctors and demanded strict action. Police blocked the march with barricades, but the agitators continued their demonstration nearby.

“We extended our support to the parents of the girl ever since they opened up about the shocking incident of medical negligence. We will continue our support till they receive justice,” a district BJP leader said, adding that protests would be intensified in the coming days.

The parents of the girl, whose arm was amputated following a fracture, alleged negligence by doctors at the district hospital, prompting the state government on Friday to order a probe.

State Health Minister Veena George directed the Director of the Health Department to investigate and take appropriate action.

The parents claimed that when their daughter went to the hospital with a broken arm, doctors asked them to return after five days, by which time swelling and discolouration had set in.

The hospital superintendent rejected the allegations, saying all possible treatment had been given and describing the amputation as a “rare occurrence” caused by “unpredictable reasons.” The girl's arm was later amputated at Kozhikode Medical College.