One-month-old baby has his penis amputated after botched circumcision

A little baby boy has had to have his penis amputated following a botched circumcision.

Ashraf Helmi took little Mohammed to a hospital in northern Cairo, Egypt, for vaccinations but was persuaded by his sister-in-law and a family friend to have the new-born circumcised.

According to The Metro, Ashraf agreed to let a nurse do the procedure because she claimed to be a doctor.

“She did it at an emergency room and not an operation room,” the father told local media. “I made sure I was there because you hear of all the botched surgeries out there.

“After finishing, she fastened the gauze so tightly and when I told her it’s very rough for a small boy, she said, ‘I know what I’m doing’!”

Not long after the procedure he noticed swelling on Mohammed’s penis and returned to the medical centre to have it checked.

Ashraf became suspicious of the nurse who’d operated on the baby after she allegedly told him to wait until she brought a doctor, according to Mirror Online. He later reported the matter to police.

A few days later, Mohammed had to be rushed to hospital after developing an infection. His penis had to be amputated because at that point it had become gangrenous.

"I didn't know what went on in the operation room. I only had someone tell me, 'Come take your daughter!'" Ashraf remembers.

Ministry of health deputy minister Hamdi al-Tabakh told local media that the nurse admitted to performing the botched surgery but claimed it took place at the father’s house – not the medical centre.

Ashraf, in turn, denies this allegation.

The woman was reportedly paid a £2,40 (R41) bonus to carry out the circumcision.

"The nurse is being internally investigated but she said the incident took place at the father's house upon his request," the health deputy minister maintains.

The nurse has allegedly been taken into custody and the case is being investigated.

^{SOURCES: Mirror Online, The Metro, The Sun}

^{Image credit: iStock}