An internal investigation has been opened after a seven-month baby had to have his leg amputated, allegedly following a Maltese medical team’s mistake.

An internal investigation into this case was initiated earlier this year and is still ongoing. Clinical decisions at Mater Dei Hospital are taken at the discretion of the caring clinicians,” Mater Dei told Lovin Malta.

“Mater Dei Hospital offers comprehensive health services locally but when clinicians indicate that patients require very specialised care not available locally, the hospital has arrangements in place with foreign specialised hospitals to send patients for treatment/surgery abroad, including, if need be, urgently,” it continued.

The investigation comes after Zayn Seguna was taken to Mater Dei Hospital last November for bronchiolitis, Australian media house 7News reported.

“His mother, Joanne Seguna, claimed that doctors told her that they had damaged an artery while inserting a central line during Zayn’s treatment, restricting blood flow and quickly resulting in extensive muscle and tissue damage,” it said.

“They hit an artery, which they realised straight away because his leg went pale, cold, changed colour straight away.”

After giving the baby the blood thinner Heparin, a blood clot formed. After staying in Malta for a few more days, his condition began to deteriorate, and he was taken to the United Kingdom.

At Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, doctors tried to restore blood flow – but due to the extent of the muscle and tissue damage, amputation was the doctor’s advice.

“It breaks my heart… I feel like they (Maltese doctors) destroyed his life,” Joanne Seguna said. “The (UK) surgeon said it should have been looked at within hours (but) it (had) been days.”