Surgical device left inside woman’s abdomen

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM (India): In a serious case of medical negligence, a towel clip was inadvertently left inside the abdomen of a 45-year-old woman, who underwent a uterus surgery in a taluk hospital at nearby Nedumangad.

Taluk hospitals come under the respective state governments and serve the respective taluks (administrative divisions in India, and smaller than districts).

The Press Trust of India (PTI) reported that the blunder came to light after the surgery on Thursday morning when it was found that one of the towel clips was missing. The woman was subjected to an X-ray examination immediately and the clip was found inside her stomach.

The woman, Laila Beevi, from nearby Tholikkode, was subjected to an emergency surgery in the night at the government medical college hospital for removal of the clip, hospital sources said.

The condition of the patient is stable now, they said.

Meanwhile, state Health Minister K K Shylaja on Friday ordered the Health Director to conduct an enquiry into the incident and take strict action against the medical staff responsible for error at the hospital. - Bernama