In an alarming episode of medical negligence, Kerala resident Harshina had to live with severe stomach pain for five years, only to find out that doctors had accidently left forceps inside her stomach.
A piece of commonly-used equipment in surgeries, forceps resemble scissors.
Harshina went through her third cesarean in 2017 at the Kozhikode Medical College after which she started feeling immense stomach pain. At first she thought the pain was a side effect of the cesarean surgery. When the pain didn't subside, she approached doctors, India Today reported.
According to the doctors, the metal object had started poking her urinary bladder, which was getting infected and leading to an excruciating pain.
She was initially put on strong antibiotics but the pain became unbearable in the last 6 months, she told PTI. The scans revealed a metal object inside her stomach.
On September 17, doctors of the Kozhikode Medical College conducted a surgery to remove a 'mosquito artery forceps' that had been in her stomach for the past five years.
Harshina went ahead and filed a complaint against doctors for leaving the forceps inside her body after the surgery five years ago.
Kerala State Health Minister Veena George, meanwhile, ordered a probe into the incident on Saturday and asked the Health Secretary to submit a report soon. She assured that action would be taken against those responsible.
The Kozhikode Medical College too has ordered a probe into the matter.
Published 09 October 2022, 08:23 IST