Dr Balvinder Mehat faces a police inquiry as it is said that he performed a circumcision on a three-month-old baby in Nottingham, without the consent of the mother.
Dr Mehat was allegedly asked by the baby's paternal family to perform the private circumcision procedure, in accordance with their Islamic faith.
The 26-year-old mother was horrified when she found out. She said, “I knew this was something my baby's father wanted, but I didn't agree with it at all. I spoke to my health worker and GP about it, and they said if it was only my name on the birth certificate there was no way it could happen.”
The parents were in a casual relationship when the baby was conceive. Since the birth of their son, the father has been visiting him every week.
When their son was three months old, the father had asked if their son could stay with him for the night to mark Eid. The mother had agreed. “I agreed because it seemed fair.”
She further recalls, “The next day I was woken up by a phone call from his grandmother asking me for his GP's details for the circumcision appointment. I didn't know what she was on about and gave them to her to avoid a row. I then started ringing and texting them to say that no way should they do anything to my son. I got no response. Then a couple of hours later I got a text saying, 'It's done.' I couldn't believe it.”
When she went to collect her child, she was horrified by the sight of the wound.
The 'Plastibell circumcision', a ten-minute surgical procedure was carried out at the Bakersfield Medical Centre in Nottingham.
Dr Mehat had issued a statement through the Medical Protection Society, saying, “I am sorry to hear of the concerns that have been raised, but it would be inappropriate for me to comment further due to patient confidentiality. I would like to reassure my patients that I always strive to provide the best possible care.”
