Alappuzha Medical College admits possible surgical lapse after forceps found in woman’s abdomen

Alappuzha (Kerala): Authorities at Alappuzha Medical College on Friday admitted to a possible surgical lapse after an artery forceps was found in the abdomen of a woman who underwent surgery at the facility in 2021.

Medical College Principal Dr B Padmakumar, Superintendent Dr Harikumar and Deputy Superintendent Dr Thomas Koshy told a press conference that Punnapra native Usha Joseph underwent surgery on May 12, 2021, during the COVID period after a major ovarian tumour was detected.

The doctors said the records show that she did not attend any follow-up treatment at the hospital after being discharged on May 15, 2021.

After consulting a urologist outside the medical college, she learned about the artery forceps and returned to the hospital on Thursday, during which she received medical assistance and was asked to be admitted, they said.

However, she reportedly said she would return later but admitted to a private hospital in Kochi now, they said.

“A four-member medical team was formed, and an inquiry was conducted based on which the case sheet was examined. The report will be submitted to the state government, and further steps will be taken,” Padmakumar said.

He admitted there may have been a lapse on the hospital's part, as there are protocols to be followed before and after surgery regarding the equipment used.

“There may be possible lapses. From the records, all the protocols were followed. But further inquiry will be conducted,” he said.

Harikumar said that, as per the case sheet, the surgery was performed by Assistant Professor Dr Shahida, who is still in government service but is not currently posted at Alappuzha Government Medical College.

He said that, though the WHO-prescribed protocol of having a floor nurse and a scrub nurse is followed, due to severe staff shortages, the hospital deploys an in-charge nurse, a setting nurse, and a scrub nurse during surgeries, and they carry out procedures together to overcome manpower issues.

“The staff shortage is very severe, and we cannot allot floor nurses and scrub nurses to specific areas at a time,” he said.

Padmakumar said that, according to the records, there was no variation in the instruments used during the surgery.

“The nurse who was in charge as part of the surgery verified the instruments before and after the procedure. It is recorded in the nurse’s notes in the case sheet,” he said.

The doctors said it was a major surgery in which over three kilograms of tumour were removed and ruled out the possibility of the artery forceps having remained in the body from an earlier surgery.

“It was a major surgery, and if the artery forceps had been there earlier, it would have been detected during the 2021 surgery. No such instrument was found then,” he said.

He added that the surgery was performed during the COVID period, when procedures were conducted under difficult conditions.

“We are not trivialising the matter. But doctors performed surgeries wearing PPE kits and goggles. That also has to be considered,” Padmakumar said.