Forceps in abdomen: Case against Dr Lalithambica for medical negligence
Retired surgeon Dr Lalithambica, against whom the allegations were raised, has denied performing the surgery.
Retired surgeon Dr Lalithambica, against whom the allegations were raised, has denied performing the surgery.
Retired surgeon Dr Lalithambica, against whom the allegations were raised, has denied performing the surgery.
Alappuzha: Police have registered a case against Dr Lalithambica Karunakaran in connection with an alleged medical negligence incident in which a pair of forceps were reportedly left inside a patient’s abdomen during an operation.
The Ambalappuzha police filed the FIR based on a complaint by Usha Joseph’s sister-in-law Margaret. According to the complaint, Usha, 51, underwent surgery on May 5, 2021, to remove a uterine tumour at the Government Medical College Hospital, Vandanam.
The complainant alleged that the procedure, led by Dr Lalithambica, was carried out in a negligent and careless manner, endangering the patient’s life and safety. It is further alleged that the surgical instrument used during the operation was inadvertently left inside Usha Joseph’s abdomen, following which she suffered abdominal pain and bleeding.
The case has been registered under Sections 125 and 125(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. DySP Rajesh KN has been assigned to conduct the investigation.
Retired surgeon Dr Lalithambica, against whom the allegations were raised, has denied performing the surgery. She said her name appeared in the records as unit chief and clarified that the instrument seen in the X-ray was a small mosquito forceps. She termed the incident a system failure but acknowledged that no instrument should be left inside the body and that surgical tools must be counted before and after every procedure. Lalithambica also said the woman had undergone surgery earlier and suggested the instrument might have been left during that procedure. The expert committee probing the incident had also found that the patient had undergone two surgeries at the Government Medical College, Alappuzha, one in 2007 and another in 2021.
After the incident came to light, the hospital launched both preliminary and detailed inquiries. A committee comprising the principal, RMO and superintendent conducted a preliminary review of case sheets and related records and submitted its findings to the government, leading to the suspension. Additionally, a four-member committee headed by RMO Dr Lekshmi PL has been constituted for a detailed probe.
The Director of Medical Education has suspended Dr J Shahida, who performed the surgery, and scrub nurse P S Dhanya, who was present during the procedure, pending further inquiry.