A nurse at state-run Vadilal Sarabhai Hospital in Ahmedabad allegedly chopped off the thumb of a five-month-old girl, multiple reports said on Wednesday. The parents of Mahenoor Mohammad Mohsin Qureshi filed a complaint of medical negligence at Ellisbridge police station after the hospital asked them to take the girl to a private facility or to the newly-opened Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel hospital, reported Ahmedabad Mirror.

Qureshi was admitted to the hospital on May 29 with symptoms of pneumonia. An intravenous device was inserted in her left arm for blood tests and injection. The alleged incident took place when they tried to remove the device from the baby’s arm before discharging her on June 2. “Her thumb fell apart with the bandage,” the infant’s mother Fatimabanu told DNA. “Doctors performed an operation and sutured the thumb.”

However, matters turned worse on Wednesday when the hospital asked the parents to take her to a different facility, reported Ahmedabad Mirror. “My daughter was about to be discharged when her thumb was almost cut off due to the staff’s negligence,” said the mother. “Hospital authorities said they would take care of her but two days later they asked us to take the child elsewhere. It is her first Eid this year, and we are spending it between hospital and police station.”

The hospital has denied the allegation of medical negligence. It said that part of the nail and skin has been injured, adding that the baby was out of danger. “Doctors have stitched it,” Dr Jitendra Parmar, the resident medical officer of VS Hospital, told DNA. “The baby will not have any problem in future.”

The accused nurse has gone on leave, reported The Times of India. “We cannot take action merely based on allegations,” a resident medical officer told the daily.

The baby is currently admitted to the paediatric ward of the hospital. “Treatment is under way,” said Parmar. He refused to comment on allegations that the hospital asked the parents to take the child to a different facility.

Ahmedabad Mayor Bijal Patel has ordered an inquiry into the incident. “What happened is unfortunate and we will not take this lightly,” said Patel. “As soon as the nurse involved in the incident reports back on duty, we will take strict action.”