Kochi, February 20 The opposition in Kerala decided on Friday to put pressure on the state government over a recent incident of medical negligence in which a surgical instrument was found inside a woman's abdomen five years after she underwent surgery at Alappuzha Medical College.
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged that government hospitals in Kerala have become examples of mismanagement, and that Usha Joseph, a native of Punnapra, who had a forceps found in her abdomen after a surgery in 2021 at Alappuzha Medical College, is the latest victim.
According to him, due to systemic failures, ordinary people are unable to approach government hospitals and medical colleges in the state with confidence.
"If the system is flawed, the minister is there to fix it. After a similar incident occurred in Kozhikode, no measures were taken to prevent it from happening again."
He said that the government's lack of explanation for repeated incidents is unacceptable to the public.
"The government should immediately take over the medical expenses of Usha Joseph. All assistance and support should be provided to her and her family," he said.
Chennithala further alleged that people who seek treatment at medical colleges are returning dead.
He also claimed that medical officials who raise questions about the functioning of government hospitals and medical colleges are being suppressed.
"The government has enough money to put up boards for its programs. Does the government not have money for poor people?" he asked.
Congress MP K C Venugopal, who represents the Alappuzha parliamentary constituency, said that instances of alleged medical negligence are becoming frequent in government facilities.
"The government claims that it is number one in healthcare. But this is the reality," he said.
Venugopal said that he had contacted Joseph on Thursday night, and she was in tears.
"She worked under the employment guarantee scheme with this instrument in her abdomen, bearing the pain. It is a systemic failure that the instrument remained in her body undetected for five years," he said.
He alleged that even when such errors are reported, medical authorities take them lightly.
"The family told me that when they approached the medical college doctors, they were directed not to reveal this to anyone. This shows that steps are being taken to cover up the incident instead of taking remedial measures," he said.
He said that after the incident came to light, he expected the state government to take necessary action.
"Joseph is afraid to go to the government hospital. The government should have taken measures to provide alternative facilities. Instead, she was told by the medical college authorities to come to them next Monday," Venugopal said.
Joseph is currently admitted to a hospital in Kochi, where she is expected to undergo surgery to remove the surgical instrument, suspected to be an artery forceps or mosquito forceps.
Health Minister Veena George has announced an inquiry into the incident and suspended the medical officials who carried out the surgery.