Cotton gauze left inside woman belonged to Wayanad MCH, says minister O R Kelu

Kozhikode: Tribal affairs minister O R Kelu confirmed that the cotton gauze found inside the woman who underwent a normal delivery at Wayanad govt medical college belonged to the hospital, strengthening the charge of medical negligence in the incident. Addressing reporters in Wayanad on Friday, Kelu said that the medical college superintendent has told him that it has been confirmed that the cotton gauze left inside the woman belonged to the hospital itself. Kelu said that the woman had approached his office on Monday with her complaint. The complaint was immediately forwarded to the district medical officer (DMO) for investigation. Meanwhile, the four-member expert committee tasked by the state health department to inquire into the incident visited the medical college on Friday. The panel, comprising doctors from the directorate of health services and the Kozhikode govt medical college, conducted collection of evidence and recorded the statement of the woman. Health minister Veena George had spoken to the woman over phone on Thursday and assured her that action would be taken if any lapses had taken place. The minister had also asked the woman to undergo a comprehensive medical checkup. The 21-year-old woman had claimed that the gauze, used to manage postpartum bleeding, was not removed after her delivery on Oct 20, 2024. She said that when she returned to the hospital 20 days later with complaints of pain and severe discomfort, doctors failed to detect its presence. The gauze eventually came out on its own after 75 days.