Thiruvananthapuram: A glove was sutured into the wound of a man during a lump removal surgery at the Thiruvananthapuram District General Hospital. Nedumangad native Shiju (38) had undergone the procedure to remove the lump on his back on August 3.

Responding to the allegation, Dr Suresh of Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital told Manorama News that suturing glove with a wound is a normal procedure. “It is an inexpensive procedure to avoid puss and bleeding. It is called glove draining system. The team in charge of the surgery had informed the same to the patient. We have documented the procedure in his medical records too,” said the doctor.

But Shiju claimed that he came to know about the glove only when his wife found it in the wound. After discharging from the hospital, Shiju felt severe pain in the wound area. When his wife removed the dressing, she found a piece of glove dangling from the wound. Later, Shiju was taken to a hospital in Nedumangad where he was advised to visit the general hospital to get the glove removed. 

“The doctor at Nedumangad hospital told me that any attempt to remove the glove may lead to bleeding. He suggested me to visit the general hospital. Today, we are going to consult the doctor at the OP,” Shiju told Manorama News. 

Shiju said that a lady doctor had performed the surgery and he didn't know the doctor's name. Expressing his anger at the hospital, Shiju claimed that no directions on the wound dressing and further treatment were given to him during the time of discharge.

“While discharging from hospital, I asked a nurse about the dressing procedures. She told me to visit the nearest hospital for dressing,” Shiju said.

The Kerala Government Medical Officers' Association (KGMOA) denied any medical negligence in the procedure and said misleading news reports will only serve to demoralise the physicians in the government sector. "Doctors at the Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital employed the widely used Glove Drain technique to drain puss from the body after the removal of the Sebaceous Cyst. It is a is cheap and effective method. Calling it medical negligence and spreading such reports will only serve to mislead public and demoralise the healthcare workers who work in limited facilities," the government doctors' body said in a statement.