Surgical instrument left in abdomen for 5 years: Storm in Kerala over ‘medical negligence’ case

However, Dr Lalithambika K, who had been the head of the Gynaecology Department at the medical college when surgery was held, told the media that this was a “lapse of the system”.

“There was no scrub nurse (who handles instruments and supplies at the operation theatre) during the surgery. There was a shortage of staff. I hope this incident will be an eye-opener for the government,” the doctor said.

She further said, “It is not a big instrument — only a mosquito forceps (used to clamp vessels). It is a lapse that the instrument was abandoned in the body. However, it would not cause any health issues… Even if 50 years pass, nothing will happen.”

The victim, Usha Joseph, told the media that she has been facing acute abdominal pain over the years, but doctors failed to diagnose the reason. “Last week, when I consulted a urologist, he suggested an X-ray, which led to the discovery of the surgical instrument in my abdomen. Then, I went back to the Gynaecology Department at the medical college, but doctors wanted me to return on February 23 for admission,” she said.

Alappuzha MP and senior Congress leader K C Venugopal said the incident exposed the serious negligence in Kerala’s healthcare sector. “Instead of providing urgent medical care to the victim, the authorities tried to cover up their lapse. She has lost faith in the government hospital, and I have made arrangements for her treatment in a private hospital. The government must ensure compensation for her,” he said.

The incident has snowballed into a major controversy. In 2023, artery forceps were found in the body of a woman in Kozhikode, following a surgery held at the government medical college hospital in the city in 2017. Last month, a cotton cloth was discovered in the stomach of a 21-year-old woman two months after she underwent a C-section. Last year, a surgical guide wire was found in the chest of a woman who had undergone surgery for thyroid at the government general hospital in Thiruvananthapuram.