Scissors in patient’s abdomen: KPCC chief seeks stringent action

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph on Friday (February 20) termed the detection of surgical scissors inside the abdomen of a woman who underwent surgery at the Alappuzha Medical College Hospital as “extremely serious and shocking” and demanded stringent action against those responsible, along with adequate compensation for the victim.

The patient, Usha Joseph, a Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme worker, reportedly endured severe pain for five years before the instrument was detected. Mr. Joseph said the suffering she went through was “indescribable” and called for immediate disciplinary measures against those accountable. He also sought appropriate financial compensation for her prolonged ordeal.

Maintaining that the incident had shaken public confidence in government hospitals, he said it was alarming that such negligence occurred in a State that claimed to have healthcare facilities of international standards. According to him, the victim had said that she would not step into a government hospital again.

The KPCC chief alleged that the LDF government had weakened Kerala’s healthcare sector and cited another case at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, where a woman named Harshina reportedly faced a similar situation. He claimed that she had been protesting for three years seeking justice, and that her plight had shocked the State.

Mr. Joseph also demanded the immediate arrest of those behind a recent bomb-making incident in Kannur, alleging that the investigation was being derailed due to the influence of the ruling party.