Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital Principal Dr P K Jabbar on Friday clarified that reports claiming Sumayya, a 26-year-old resident of Kattakkada Killi, underwent surgery at the hospital to remove a guide wire lodged in her body are false.

Dr Jabbar said that following the recommendations of a government-appointed expert committee, the cardiology department subjected her to tests, including an angiogram, to determine the current position and condition of the guide wire. The examination was aimed at understanding the complexities involved and deciding on further treatment, including whether the wire needed to be removed.

Sumayya had previously undergone surgery at the General Hospital on March 22, 2023, to remove her thyroid. While in the intensive care unit afterwards, the guide wire was inserted to administer calcium. Subsequent health complications led to a chest X-ray on March 2 this year, which revealed that the guide wire had not been removed.

The 70-centimetre-long guide wire has remained in Sumayya’s chest for over two and a half years, running along a nerve pathway from below the abdomen up to the neck.