Medical board to probe alleged surgical error at Alapuzzha Medical College

The patient, a resident of Punnapra, later underwent another surgery at a private hospital in Kochi to have the forceps removed. Previously, Medical Dialogues reported that an artery forceps was reportedly found inside the abdomen of a woman nearly five years after she underwent surgery at the Government Medical College Hospital, Alappuzha. The patient has also accused the doctor of negligence, who has since retired. In response to the allegations, Kerala Health Minister Veena George ordered a formal investigation into the matter. The patient had earlier undergone surgery for the removal of uterine fibroids at the hospital.

According to The Times of India, the decision to set up the panel follows a communication from Ambalappuzha Deputy Superintendent of Police K N Rajesh, who is leading the inquiry into the suspected case of medical negligence. The board will function under the supervision of District Medical Officer Jamuna Varghese and will comprise senior specialists from the medical colleges in Kottayam and Thiruvananthapuram. Meanwhile, the artery forceps that were produced by the police before the Ambalappuzha magistrate’s court will be forwarded for forensic analysis as part of the ongoing investigation.

The medical team will be responsible for reviewing the medical records thoroughly during the time when the patient received treatment at Alappuzha Medical College Hospital on May 10, 2021. They will examine all the details when the patient underwent surgery, and the forceps that were discovered will be analysed by the expert team. Moreover, the assistant professor, who was in-charge of the surgery, and other doctors, nurses, and staff involved in the surgery will also be questioned. Many others may also face charges depending on the report provided by the medical board. 

Based on the statements of the kin of the patient case has already been registered against the former head of the gynaecology department by Ambalappuzha police. In order to gather evidence during the investigation, the police have also retrieved the forceps from a private hospital in Kochi.