After questions over a published report that said acclaimed neurosurgeon and CNN’s chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta had treated someone else during the Nepal earthquake, the TV network said on Thursday that it is working to verify the identity of the patient.
Gupta, a practicing brain surgeon, had claimed that he was involved in a medical intervention that saved the life of an eight-year-old suffering from major head injuries during the earthquake.
The Global Press Journal, however, reported this week that the girl in question, Salina Dahal was never operated on, according to her family and doctors.
On Wednesday, Gupta clarified saying the hospital’s triage unit was “unlike anything I’ve ever seen.” He added that he relied on the hospital’s information for identifying the patient and that incorrect information may have been provided.
CNN spokeswoman Neel Khairzada added that because it was a brain surgery, the rest of the patient’s body was obscured by drapes.
The TV network is now making sure it has the correct information about the patient and has promised to correct its record, if necessary.