A 12.5-cm-long artery forcep was removed from patient’s abdomen
Alappuzha: Surgeons at Amrita Hospital in Kochi have successfully removed a 12.5-centimetre surgical forceps from the abdomen of Usha Joseph, a woman from Punnapra, five years after her original operation at Alappuzha Medical College Hospital. The three-hour procedure was carried out in the hospital’s intensive care unit, and Usha is expected to be moved to a regular ward on Monday. Doctors have confirmed her condition is stable.
The forceps, identified as an artery forceps (also known as a haemostat or artery clamp), was used during surgery to control bleeding in blood vessels. Though it had no sharp edges, the instrument remained inside her body following a 2021 procedure to remove a 3.2-kilogram fibroid. The discovery was made during an X-ray on 17 February.
Following the revelation, Alappuzha police registered a case of medical negligence on Friday. The instrument was recovered by the Ambalappuzha DYSP and is set to be produced before the Ambalappuzha Magistrate Court on Monday. Currently, Dr K. Lalithambica, who was the head of the gynaecology department at the time of the 2021 surgery, is the sole accused. Earlier, Associate Professor Dr J. Shahida and nurse P.S. Dhanya, involved in the procedure, were suspended by the Medical Education Directorate.
The police have indicated that preliminary investigations point to medical negligence. A request will be made to the District Medical Officer to constitute a medical board to provide expert opinion on the case.
Political reaction over threats to activist
In a related incident, Minister Saji Cherian condemned the protesters who placed a wreath outside the home of Helth Minsiter Veena George in Pathanamthitta. Speaking to the media in Aaranmula, the minister described the act as inhumane, questioning whether anyone in the world would perform such an act on a human body. He affirmed that the party must protect Veena George. Meanwhile, CPM State Committee member K.P. Udayabhanu warned that the party would respond if protests continued, claiming that jealousy over achievements in the health sector is behind such demonstrations.