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Thiruvananthapuram, April 20: In light of two alarming incidents where surgical instruments were inadvertently left inside the bodies of female patients, Kerala's public health system is taking significant steps to restore public trust.

Response from the Health Department

The Health Department's swift reaction to these incidents has led to the introduction of a detailed set of guidelines aimed at minimizing surgical mistakes and enhancing accountability in hospitals.

One of the primary directives requires that each patient be provided with a wristband that contains all relevant surgical information.

Additionally, the specific area of the body to be operated on must be clearly marked beforehand to eliminate any confusion during surgery.

To maintain focus and adhere to sterile conditions, the use of mobile phones in operating rooms has been strictly prohibited.

These new regulations will apply to all surgical procedures, regardless of their complexity, ensuring that both minor and major surgeries are covered.

Mandatory Pre-Operative Procedures

A comprehensive pre-operative verification process is now compulsory.

Medical staff, including doctors and nurses, must ensure that all patient records and inpatient numbers are accurately completed.

The responsible ward doctor and nurse must fill out and sign a pre-operative checklist, which will then be reviewed and countersigned by the nursing officer in charge of the operating theatre.

Only after these procedures are finalized can the patient be taken in for surgery.

Instrument Accountability Measures

The guidelines emphasize the importance of instrument accountability.

Hospitals are required to conduct a thorough count of all surgical instruments and supplies before and after each procedure.

The names and quantities of instruments must be displayed on a whiteboard prior to surgery and verified again post-operation, with the checklist submitted to the relevant authority.

Officials assert that this new framework aims to clarify responsibilities, making it harder for errors to go unnoticed or for blame to be shifted.

Notable Cases of Surgical Negligence

One particularly egregious case involved a surgical scissor discovered inside a 51-year-old woman nearly five years after her hysterectomy at the Medical College Hospital in Alappuzha.

Usha Josephkutty, from Punnapra, underwent the procedure on May 10, 2021. She experienced ongoing abdominal pain and blood in her urine for years, with the cause remaining undiagnosed until an X-ray in February revealed the scissor lodged within her body. It was subsequently removed in a follow-up surgery, highlighting a severe breach of surgical protocol.

Another widely reported incident involved Harshina from Kozhikode, who suffered for years after a pair of surgical forceps was allegedly left inside her abdomen during her third Caesarean section at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital on November 30, 2017. The instrument was finally detected and removed in September 2022, and she continues to seek legal action for the distress caused by this oversight.