Kottayam: A woman was "wrongly" diagnosed with cancer and subjected to chemotherapy at the Kottayam Government Medical College Hospital here, following which a probe has been ordered by the Kerala government.

Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja has ordered an inquiry into the allegations that Rajani, 38, of Kudassanad in Alappuzha, was subjected to chemotherapy treatment at the hospital on the basis of a report from Dianova Laboratories, a private lab where her sample was tested, the officials said Sunday.

The government has also committed to incur the expenses of all the further treatment required for the patient, Mavelikkara MLA R Rajesh informed on Monday.

Rajani had undergone treatment at the General surgery department of the hospital on February 28 for a lump on her breast.

Her samples were taken and sent for testing at the hospital laboratory as well as a private lab near the hospital. Chemotherapy was started immediately after the doctors at the Oncology department of the hospital received the report from the private lab, which said she had been diagnosed with cancer.

However, the report from the hospital lab came two weeks later and it said it was not cancerous.

Chemotherapy was immediately stopped and the Oncology department referred her back to the General Surgery department where the lump on her breast was removed performing a surgery.

The samples tested at the private lab were again tested at the hospital lab as well as a lab at the Thiruvananthapuram Regional Cancer Centre (RCC).

The reports from both the labs confirmed that it was not cancerous.

Subsequently, the woman complained to the Health Minister about the the incident and the health issues including serious side-effects she has been facing after the wrong treatment at the hospital.

Sole breadwinner of the family

Rajani worked as an employee at a textile shop in Pandalam prior to the incident. After her husband left her, she was the sole breadwinner of her family which comprises of her eight-year-old daughter and elderly parents. She had to spend Rs 50,000 for the treatment of her 'alleged' disease.

The minister has ordered the Principal of the Government Medical College to probe into the case and submit a report.

Chemo therapy is a treatment undertaken for destroying cancerous cells and preventing the spread of the disease. Though the treatment is known for its severe side effects, it is the most effective remedy for the illness. In this case, Rajani lost her hair and developed severe sores in her mouth following the chemo treatment. Chemo may be undertaken both prior to the surgery and after.

Medical College response

The Kottayam Medical College Principal Dr Jose Joseph has clarified that the error was committed by the private laboratory which tested the woman's sample. 'The Oncology doctors were not at fault in the case,' he says in a report submitted to the Medical Education Department Director. The report was submitted following an inquiry conducted by a four-member-committee in the case.

'They merely tried to mete out the treatment at the earliest before the cancer took a toll on the patient,' said Dr T K Jayakumar, the Medical College Hospital Superintendent, defending the doctors.

The lump had a radius 4.5 cm. Lumps of this size usually tend to be cancerous in nature. When the mammogram test revealed the possiblilty, the treatment was started on the basis of the private lab's report.

Cancer rulebook to be drafted in a week

Following the incident, Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja has informed that a general rulebook for cancer treatment will be drafted in a week's time.

Oncology experts had submitted the report to the minister on May 4 as per the directive issued earlier. The rulebook will play a key role in regularising the diagonosis and treatment of tumours in the uterus, mouth, throat, brain, urinary tract, blood, bones and so forth.

Though the rule that cancer treatment must be provided only after examination of immunohistochemistry and confirmation of the disease by Tumour Board currently exists, it is almost never followed.

Human Rights Commission takes a case

The Kerala Human Rights Commission chief Antony Dominic has taken a case against the Kottayam Medical College for the grievous offence. The Medical College's Education Director has been asked to submit a detailed report on the case to the commission in three weeks time. The College Superintendent has to submit an immediate explanation.

The case, taken on the basis of the petition of the Human Rights activist P K Raju, will be considered on July 2.