Kozhikode: Harshina, the victim of medical negligence at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, lashed out at the authorities on Tuesday for denying her justice.
A pair of scissors were allegedly left inside the stomach of Harshina Malayil Kulangara from Manakkadavu, Pantheerankavu, Kozhikode in 2017 during a C-section at the Kozhikode medical college hospital. It was removed from her body in 2022.
"I have been enduring this pain for so many years. Every human being's pain is the same. I need justice quickly," she told the media.
After slamming the authorities for postponing the medical board meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Harshina staged a sit-in protest in front of the DMO office.
"The medical board has no clarity on when they will convene next. The DMO has assured me that the report will be submitted on August 8 irrespective of when the meeting will take place. I concluded my protest due to this assurance," she said.
The report will be submitted to the police and health department. Harshina added that she will continue her agitation until she gets complete justice.
The police inquiry team, led by Assistant Commissioner Sudarsan, submitted a report to the District Medical Office two weeks ago citing that the scissors found inside Harshina's stomach belonged to the IMCH.
The report was attached with a formal request from the police inquiry team that their findings be cross-checked for scientific accuracy.
Hence, it was decided to convene a medical board of experts on the related subjects to discuss the police report's validity and submit a separate report on the same to the police and the health department, based on which further action would be taken.
Meanwhile, the DMO said that the medical board meeting was postponed as the radiologist was unavailable. "We have requested the minister for a radiologist and the district collector has also promised his support on the matter," DMO Dr Rajaram told Onmanorama.
"These are mere excuses. There is no need to bring a radiologist from another state. If not this district, the expert may be brought from another district," Harshina said.
Meanwhile, the Samara Samithi chairman Dinesh Perumanna told the media that if the report is not submitted to the police on or before August 8, the strike will be moved to the secretariat.
"It's been 10 days since the DMO's office has gotten the police report. Now they are citing the unavailability of a radiologist. They need not go outside of India for this. If the health minister tries, they can easily find an expert," he said.
The medical board comprises the DMO, the public prosecutor, and doctors from gynaecology, anaesthesia, medicine, surgery, and forensic medicine.
Only available radiologist in Kozhikode works at Govt MCH
In Kozhikode, the only available radiologist works in Government Medical College Hospital. However, Harshina has demanded that no experts from medical college be included in any team related to her case.
There are only three posts of radiologists in the district's government hospitals -- Govt Medical College, IMCH and General Hospital.
Among these, only the radiologist at the General Hospital can be included in the team as per Harshina's demand. However, the radiologist at the General Hospital was recently transferred and a radiotherapist was appointed instead. The radiologist in IMCH also transferred and the post is still vacant.
Harshina, (33), underwent C-sections at Thamarassery taluk hospital twice - in 2012 and 2016. Subsequently, she went for a third C-section in 2017 at the government medical college in Kozhikode. Two months later, she suffered from severe pain in her stomach; she used to get infected repeatedly and underwent two more surgeries. As Harshina's health deteriorated, her husband Ashraf had to sit with her after winding up their business and undergoing a loss of Rs 35 lakh.
Finally, a doctor at a private hospital pointed out to her the presence of forceps inside her body. Soon after, 12 cm-long steel surgical scissors were retrieved by surgery in September 2022 from her abdomen at the government medical college.
Harshina then lodged a complaint with the health minister Veena George's office, the assistant commissioner of police, Kozhikode City, and the superintendent of the medical college. Medical college authorities later claimed that it was not their scissors that were left inside.
Though the cabinet decided to pay her Rs 2 lakh as compensation and announced an investigation by the home department, Harshina did not accept the two suggestions.
She was not happy with the decision for an investigation by the home department as the police had already commenced a probe into the complaint she lodged. The health department initiated two inquiries thereafter.
