Kozhikode: The police has completed the investigation in the medical negligence case against Kozhikode Medical College Hospital where a pair of scissors were left inside a woman's stomach following a caesarean section.
A pair of scissors were allegedly left inside the stomach of Harshina Malayil Kulangara from Manakkadavu, Pantheerankavu, Kozhikode in 2017 during a C-section at the Kozhikode medical college hospital. It was removed from her body in 2022.
According to a source, the police concluded that the pair of forceps belonged to the medical college. The investigation was conducted by medical college assistant commissioner K Sudharsan.
Will continue agitation: Harshina
'I will go on with my agitation until I get complete justice,' Harshina told Onmanorama on Monday. The survivor of medical negligence is on a sit in strike in front of the Kozhikode medical college hospital.
"I am thankful to God. I am 100% sure that my arguments were proven by the police enquiry. I'm happy to hear that the arguments I raised were proved correct. Nobody should face such a bitter experience due to medical negligence. If anything happens, there must be a solution at the earliest. An ordinance must be issued in this respect," Harshina responded from the makeshift shed where she is protesting from. Samara Samithi members and other sympathisers are supporting her cause.
Medical board to convene on Aug 1
The investigating officer has requested the formation of medical board in the case. The board which will convene on August 1 has the DMO, the public prosecutor, and doctors from gynaecology, anaesthesia, medicine, surgery, and forensic medicine.
The complaint was filed to the city police commissioner on February 26. Medical College maternity department superintendent, two department heads of gynaecology have been listed as an accused in the case with charges of Medical Negligence Act.
Harshina, the survivor of medical negligence, has been protesting against the medical college authorities for two months now.
She wants to know how the forceps were left inside her stomach, leading to continuous pain, repeated infection and surgeries. She demands investigation reports be revealed and adequate compensation for the trauma.
The case
Harshina, (33), underwent C-sections at Thamarassery taluk hospital twice - in 2012 and 2016. Subsequently, she went for a third C-section in 2017 at the government medical college in Kozhikode. Two months later, she suffered from severe pain in her stomach; she used to get infected repeatedly and underwent two more surgeries. As Harshina's health deteriorated, her husband Ashraf had to sit with her after winding up their business and undergoing a loss of Rs 35 lakh.
Finally, a doctor at a private hospital pointed out to her the presence of forceps inside her body. Soon after, 12 cm-long steel surgical scissors were retrieved by surgery in September 2022 from her abdomen at the government medical college.
Harshina then lodged a complaint with the health minister Veena George's office, the assistant commissioner of police, Kozhikode city, and the superintendent of the medical college. Medical college authorities later claimed that it was not their scissors that were left inside.
Though the cabinet decided to pay her Rs 2 lakh as compensation and announced an investigation by the home department, Harshina did not accept the two suggestions.
She was not happy with the decision for an investigation by the home department as the police had already commenced a probe into the complaint she lodged. The health department initiated two inquiries thereafter: both reports said the source of the scissors was not clear.
