Kottayam: The Gandhinagar police have registered a case against staff of Kottayam Medical College Hospital following a complaint that a needle was left lodged in a newborn baby's abdomen for nearly a year after her birth.

According to the FIR, the staff of the hospital's Gynaecology NICU acted negligently, resulting in the needle getting lodged in the baby's abdomen. The FIR states that the incident could have posed a serious threat to the child's life.

Interestingly, an internal probe by a three-member hospital panel found no lapse.

The child is the daughter of Bineesh, a native of Chattamangalam in Kozhikode, and Anju, a native of Ettumanoor in Kottayam. She was born at Kottayam Medical College Hospital on June 24, 2025.

The family noticed a small swelling near the baby's right abdomen a day after her birth. They brought it to the attention of doctors at the hospital, who recommended a scan.

However, the family said the doctors scanned the baby's head instead of examining the swelling and later told them that there was nothing to worry about. The baby was prescribed medicines and discharged.

The child continued to cry frequently, but the family followed the treatment prescribed by the doctors. They did not notice any major issue for several months.

The problem resurfaced in July this year when Bineesh was playing with his daughter. As he lifted the child, she suddenly developed severe pain in her abdomen and began crying loudly.

The family then took her to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, where doctors conducted a scan and found a needle lodged in her abdomen. It was subsequently removed through surgery. The removed needle is currently kept at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital.

The family later approached the authorities at Kottayam Medical College Hospital and raised the issue. They alleged that the hospital authorities misbehaved with them. The hospital superintendent subsequently ordered an internal inquiry into the incident.

The Gandhinagar police registered the case based on the family's complaint. Further investigation is underway.