Medical Negligence? Cotton cloth found inside woman two months after C-Section

Kozhikode: A shocking medical negligence allegation has emerged at the Mananthavady Government Medical College Hospital (MCH) in Wayanad after a 21-year-old woman claimed that a piece of cotton cloth was found inside her body more than two months after her cesarean delivery.

In response to the allegation, the District Medical Officer (DMO), Wayanad, has ordered an investigation into the incident. The inquiry was initiated after the woman approached Kerala Minister O.R. Kelu, alleging serious lapses in the treatment she received at the government hospital.

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According to the Hindu news report, the incident took place after the woman delivered a baby through cesarean section on October 20, 2025, and was discharged on October 25. Soon after returning home, she developed severe abdominal pain and revisited the hospital. However, she was allegedly advised only to drink water and was sent back without a proper examination. A similar response was reportedly given during her second visit as well.

The woman said her pain and discomfort continued for several weeks. On December 29, she noticed a foul smell emanating from her body and noticed the passage of a cotton cloth, which she alleged had been left behind during her childbirth. She also reported persistent pain and other health issues during this period.

After this, the woman filed a complaint at the police station in this regard. However, the police could only take action based on the findings of the medical inquiry.

Her family members claimed that the gauze used to control bleeding after childbirth may not have been removed, leading to prolonged suffering and infection. The incident has prompted the district health authorities to initiate a probe into the sequence of events and treatment protocols followed at the hospital.

Medical Dialogues had reported a similar incident where a case was registered against doctors of a private hospital in Greater Noida, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), and health department officials, after a half-metre-long surgical cloth was found inside a woman's abdomen, which she alleged had been left inside during the 2023 delivery operation.

Also read- Cloth found in woman's abdomen months after surgery: FIR against Greater Noida doctors, CMO