Kozhikode: In a significant development in the long-running medical negligence case involving Harshina, the Kerala government has offered her a job at Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital, where a pair of artery forceps had been left inside her abdomen during a caesarean section in 2017.

Harshina, a native of Manakkadavu near Pantheerankavu, is expected to join duty as an office assistant in the Gynaecology Department on Tuesday. The decision was communicated to her during a meeting with Chief Minister V D Satheeshan and Health Minister K Muraleedharan on Monday.

Speaking to Onmanorama, Harshina’s husband Ashraf said the family met the chief minister primarily to discuss compensation for the years of suffering caused by the surgical negligence.

“The chief minister assured us that the government would take a favourable decision regarding the compensation. After that, we met the Health Minister, who informed us that Harshina has been appointed at Kozhikode Medical College. The appointment order has already been handed over to the hospital authorities,” Ashraf said. He added that Harshina is planning to join the new job on Tuesday itself.

Harshina’s case had triggered widespread public outrage after it emerged in 2022 that a pair of surgical forceps had remained inside her abdomen for nearly five years following her third caesarean surgery at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital in 2017. She underwent another surgery in September 2022 to remove the instrument.

Despite the removal surgery, Harshina continues to suffer from chronic pain, repeated infections and severe physical limitations. She has been undergoing physiotherapy and other treatments regularly, spending nearly ₹20,000 every month on medical care.

Rejecting the state Government’s sanctioned compensation of ₹2 lakh as inadequate, Harshina has approached the civil court seeking ₹1.9 crore in compensation for the physical, emotional and financial hardships endured by her and her family over the years.

The 33-year-old mother of three is currently staying near Thamarassery with relatives who assist her in daily activities, as her health condition has significantly affected her independence and family life.