As a senior doctor who has been practising medicine close to 40 years I was appalled by the statement of the Deputy Menteri Besar of Kelantan reported in the Star dated May 25, 2014. He had said that amputations for theft would be done 'properly by surgeons and that after a period of rest the amputee can return to be with his family at home and need not be interred in a prison'. It sounded like a comforting advice that we give to a patient who just had a major operation.
