Cloth left inside abdomen after surgery; Case against doctor of private hospital in Kazhakoottam

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A case has been registered against surgeon Dr Prashanth of CSI Mission Hospital in Kazhakoottam for medical negligence. A complaint filed said that a cloth fragment and cotton were stitched inside a woman’s abdomen after surgery. The Kazhakoottam police registered the case on the complaint of Sheeba Pramod (47) of Menamkulam. Sheeba had filed a complaint alleging medical negligence with the chief minister and the district medical officer.

The woman came to the hospital on December 2nd with severe abdominal pain. The doctors diagnosed appendicitis and advised surgery. The surgery was performed on December 3rd. She was discharged after ten days, but the wound did not heal completely. One part was festered. However, since the doctor who treated Sheeba at the Kazhakoottam hospital was on leave, she went to Govindans a private hospital in the capital city, to dress the wound. An examination conducted there, found a thread in the wound.

The doctors then advised her to go to the same hospital where the surgery was performed. Later, the piece of cloth was removed via surgery. However, the hospital authorities explained that it is not clear from where the cloth piece got into the wound. She said the first surgery performed at Kazhakoottam cost Rs 1.20 lakh. The treatment at Govindans cost more than Rs 18,000. Sheeba responded that she suffered pain for three months.