Kannur (Kerala) | A medical board has been constituted as part of the investigation into the death of a one-and-a-half-year-old boy after he was administered anaesthesia for suturing a lip injury at a private hospital in Payyannur, police officials said on Monday.

An investigation led by the Payyannur Deputy Superintendent of Police had requested the Health Department to constitute a medical board comprising expert doctors to ascertain whether the child's death was caused by any lapse in the administration of anaesthesia.

Following the request, the Kannur District Medical Officer (DMO) constituted a medical board headed by the Superintendent of Government Medical College Hospital, Pariyaram. The panel also includes paediatricians and the Superintendent of Payyannur Taluk Hospital, officials said.

Police officials said the medical board would examine the postmortem report, records relating to the administration of anaesthesia, the treatment provided and the child's medical history to determine whether any medical negligence led to the death.

The board is also expected to examine whether the administration of anaesthesia was warranted for the procedure and whether the dosage was appropriate, particularly as the child was reportedly underweight, police said.

Based on the findings of the medical board, police will decide whether to arraign more doctors as accused in the case, officials said.

The child, Devansh Shouria of Eramam, sustained a lip injury while playing on July 5.

He was taken to a private hospital in Payyannur, where doctors advised suturing the wound under anaesthesia.

According to the complaint lodged by the family, the child became unconscious soon after the anaesthesia was administered and was shifted to another hospital in Kannur, where he died five days later.

Following the complaint, police registered a case against anaesthetist Dr Anjali Poduval.

Police have also asked the paediatrician and the plastic surgeon involved in the treatment to appear for questioning, while efforts are on to trace them, officials said.

On Saturday, the child's family staged a protest in front of the hospital with his body, demanding that all doctors involved in his treatment be booked.

Police held discussions with the relatives and assured them of a fair investigation.

Following the incident, the hospital denied allegations of medical negligence, claiming that the child suffered a cardiac arrest after being administered anaesthesia and was immediately shifted to ventilator support.