Authorities at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, have set up a three-member committee to inquire into the allegation that a pair of scissors was left behind in the abdomen of a woman who underwent a surgery there five years ago.
According to sources, the heads of the departments of Surgical Gastroenterology, Surgery, and Plastic Surgery are the members of the panel. The hospital authorities, meanwhile, have reportedly claimed that it was not a pair of scissors but mosquito forceps, another surgical instrument. They also point out that since she had undergone C-Section surgeries twice at other hospitals, the possibility of lapses from there could not be ruled out.
Meanwhile, the Kerala Women’s Commission has sought damages for the physical and mental trauma suffered by the woman. P. Sathidevi, chairperson of the commission, said the amount should be levied from the doctors who performed the surgery.
The 30-year-old woman was admitted to the Institute of Maternal and Child Health attached to the medical college hospital for the surgery in 2017. She was found to have serious health issues after the procedure. The instrument was found reportedly during a CT scan done at a private hospital after she complained of urinal infection recently. It was reportedly stuck onto the urinary bladder and there was swelling and pus there. The instrument was later removed during another surgery held at the medical college hospital. The Health department has also ordered an inquiry into the incident.
