Kochi: In a shocking incident of alleged medical negligence, a Sabarimala pilgrim has filed a complaint against the Government Hospital at Pampa after discovering a surgical blade inside her bandaged wound on foot. The victim, Preetha Balachandran (55), a native of Nedumbassery, has lodged a formal complaint with the Pathanamthitta District Medical Officer (DMO) regarding the ordeal.

The incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of January 15. Preetha, hailing from Moozhikkalshala near Nedumbassery in Ernakulam, had been participating in a foot pilgrimage (Padayatra) accompanying the Thiruvabharana procession from Pandalam since January 12. After walking as far as Ayroor, she developed blisters on her feet due to the long trek. Unable to continue walking without treatment, she took a bus to Pampa, where she secured a room to wait for the procession to reach Sannidhanam.

"After an initial dressing of the wound at Pampa Government Hospital, I proceeded to Sannidhanam for Darshan," Preetha recounted. "After witnessing the Makaravilakku and completing the Darshan, I returned to Pampa on the night of January 14 and rested in my room. However, before returning home around 4 am on January 15, I noticed the dressing had become wet and went back to the hospital for a fresh bandage," she told Onmanorama.

According to Preetha, the situation at the hospital was dire. She alleged that most of the staff appeared to be asleep when she arrived. Crucially, she claimed there were no qualified nurses on duty; instead, she was attended to by a nursing assistant. "The person attending to me was dressed in a lungi and shirt, which felt completely unprofessional. When I asked if there were any nurses available, he replied that he was a nursing assistant and that no nurses were on duty," Preetha said.

She described a harrowing experience in which the assistant used a needle to prick the blister, piercing deep into the flesh. "He told me there was fluid in the wound that had to be cleared before bandaging. The needle prick went deep into my flesh and was painful. He seemed untrained and careless, and I was scared. When he subsequently picked up a surgical blade to cut the skin, I felt he lacked the necessary expertise," she said.

Fearing for her safety, she stopped him, explicitly asking him to desist from any further procedures. "I told him not to do anything else other than bandage the wound. The man even applied ointment from a container that had been left open before bandaging the foot. I believe the surgical blade was accidentally trapped inside the bandage during this process. I did not see it at the time, but how can someone be that careless at a government hospital, especially in Sabarimala where thousands of pilgrims arrive?," Preetha asked.

She later walked to the KSRTC stand, caught a bus to Nedumbassery, and reached home by 1 pm. The negligence came to light only when she removed the dressing at home. "As a diabetic patient, I examine my wounds with extra care. I felt I should redo the bandage afresh, which is the only reason I found the blade," Preetha said

"When I opened the bandage on my left foot, I saw something glittering and sharp like a metal piece, it was the blade. For a diabetic, having such an object against an open wound could have led to severe infection or complications," she said.

Following the discovery, Preetha filed a complaint with the Pathanamthitta DMO. She confirmed that officials from the DMO's office have since contacted her to collect details. "The DMO has not spoken to me personally, but another official did. I gave them all the proof and my details, along with the OP ticket from the hospital," she added.

The incident has raised serious questions regarding the quality of healthcare provided to pilgrims during the Mandalam-Makaravilakku season. The complaint highlights grave negligence on the part of a government hospital that is expected to be fully equipped and alert around the clock for Sabarimala devotees.

Onmanorama has tried to reach out to Pathanamthitta DMO, but the official was unavailable for comments.