Medical Negligence? Doctor accused of leaving surgical mop inside patient during C-section
Medical Negligence
Bengaluru: A doctor associated with a private hospital in Puttur, Karnataka has been accused of medical negligence for allegedly leaving a surgical mop inside a woman's stomach while conducting her Caesarean-section surgery.
As per recent media reports, the mop was allegedly left inside the patient's body during the surgery conducted last November. Later, the foreign object was removed by performing an emergency surgery to save the patient from a potentially life-threatening condition.
The District Health Officer (DHO) Dr. Thimmalah H. R will now investigate the matter by launching a probe into the complaint.
Also Read: Cotton left inside patient's body during C-Section, Hospital ordered to pay Rs 10.48 lakh
As per the latest media report by The Hindu, Dakshina Kannada District Health and Family Welfare Officer H.R. Thimmaiah informed that a six-member team of officials and doctors will inquire into the allegations of medical negligence. Dr. Thimmaiah informed the Daily that the team will inquire within a week and send the report to the Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, for necessary action.
The matter came to light after the patient's husband shared his grievances on X (formerly Twitter). In the X post, he claimed that Dr. Anil at Puttur City Hospital conducted the C-Section surgery on his wife on 27.11.2024 and discharged her on 02.12.2024. However, after an week, the patient experienced high-fever of 104* for 3-4 days and immediately approached the treating doctor and hospital.
Then the doctor prescribed some tablets and when the patient informed him about some difference in one side of the stomach and when insisted on an ultra sound, the doctor asked to get it done.
"IN first USG itself it was showing some big number 10cm roughly & when i asked with usg dr he behaved weirdly with me & did not revealed what's there in it , when i asked him to speak to above dr Infront of me he denied & when i reached the above dr in his hospital he already had call from ultrasound person & dr Anil started saying there is no chance for foreign body & its hematoma !" the complainant claimed in the X post.
When they asked for more clearer CT scan, the doctor allegedly refused to go for CT scan and rebuked the patient's family asking them to just go home and assured that the issue would resolve automatically within a few months, he said.
"After his tablets her fever got reduced & when we went for review usg that time also size was almost same in usg . He still told it takes time to dissolve ! But in next few days she faced acute joint ,wrist, leg pain & she wasn't able to walk, stand , lift her baby to feed, cant turn on tap as well !" added the complainant.
Consequently, the complainant consulted the treating doctor again and the doctor asked to check with orthopaedic doctor, who referred the patient to a higher hospital and arthritis specialists. When the complainant showed the USG report to her about the suspicious findings, the doctor immediately ordered a CT scan, which revealed that a Surgical MOP was left inside the patient's stomach and it was allegedly massive in size as well.
Alleging that even after being shown the report, the treating doctor was unwilling to accept the mistake, the complainant added in his X post, "After getting the report I showed to Dr Anil but he was never ready to accept the mistake but told cant say anything & still it will be hematoma & he will get to know when operated! We had lost trust on him & hospital by that time, later immediately we went for surgery to remove the mop ! By that time Infection was spread across her lungs, blood & other parts & she was almost in verge of loosing her life bcoz of is medical crime!"
It was further alleged that the doctor meanwhile tried contacting the patient and her family members after getting to know about the removal of the surgical mop. When they asked for compensation, the doctor allegedly denied it. The Complainant added that the doctor "told he will throw some rupees on our face ! But when i asked my wife , me & two small children suffered heavily for months new born infant suffered without his rights of breastfeeding, me being a small farmer lost my crops by not able to irrigate in this peak summer time, our mental agony ,stress ,social stress , physical pains & loss of hopes & trust . How can one value infants loss of breastmilk."
In another X post, the complainant added, "Yes just bcoz he is Doctor how can he commit such negligence & crime ? If proper justice not given to her it will give wrong indications that doctors can do anything & no one can question them just bcoz they are doctors & medical board of team with them ? Can't they see humanity"
TOI has reported that an emergency surgery had to be conducted at another private hospital in Puttur on Jan 25 to remove the surgical mop and save the patient's life. Even though the patient was discharged on February 15, she is still under medication and has not been able to breastfeed her newborn.
Commenting on the matter, the patient's husband told The Daily, "We have undergone tremendous stress. We have posted the issue on the National Consumer Grievance portal and the Department of Consumer Affairs. We have spent lakhs on her treatment."
