Kozhikode: Two doctors and two nurses are likely to face legal proceedings including arrest over the complaint of Harshina, a victim of alleged medical negligence in 2017. According to reports, the Kozhikode City Police Commissioner has submitted a request before the DGP seeking permission to prosecute the four accused in the case. The DGP will forward this request to the government soon.
As per the case, the surgeons and nurses are facing charges for leaving a pair of scissors inside Harshina's stomach after performing a C-section. The serious medical negligence came to light when Harshina sought medical care at a private hospital after experiencing severe pain in the stomach.
Dr C K Rameshan (42), assistant professor at the gynaecology department of Manjeri Government Medical College; Dr M Shahana (32), a gynaecologist at a private hospital in Kottayam; M Rehana (33); and K G Manju, both staff nurses at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital are named as accused in the case. The four accused have been charged under sections punishable by imprisonment of up to two years. The police investigation revealed that a pair of artery forceps were stuck in Harshina's stomach during her third delivery-related surgery at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital on November 30, 2017.
Further action against the accused will be taken once the government gives a nod. Earlier, the Kozhikode City Police Commissioner had returned the prosecution request to SP Sudarshan who is in charge of the probe by recommending eight major changes. This revised request has been forwarded to the DGP on Saturday.
The case
Harshina, (33), underwent C-sections at Thamarassery taluk hospital twice - in 2012 and 2016. She went for a third C-section at the government medical college in Kozhikode in 2017. Two months later, she suffered from severe pain in her stomach. She was infected repeatedly and had to undergo two more surgeries. As Harshina's health deteriorated, her husband Ashraf had to wind up their business to take care of her resulting in a loss of Rs 35 lakh.
Finally, a doctor at a private hospital pointed out the presence of a pair of forceps inside her body. The 12 cm-long steel surgical scissor was retrieved from her abdomen by surgery at the government medical college in September 2022.
Harshina then lodged a complaint with 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 scissors left behind did not belong to the hospital. However, the police investigation confirmed that the scissors removed from Harshina's stomach belonged to Kozhikode Medical College.
Harshina had called off her three-month-long sit-in protest in front of Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital on September 2 after police submitted a probe report before Kunnamangalam court accusing two doctors and nurses of medical negligence.
