NOIDA: A criminal case was registered against three doctors for medical negligence after a foreign object was found inside a woman’s abdomen more than a year after she underwent a delivery procedure at a private hospital in Greater Noida. The complaint, filed by the woman’s husband earlier this week, also names the chief medical officer and two health department officials appointed to investigate the case. Police have filed an FIR against the six accused under BNS sections 125 (endangering life or personal safety due to rashness or negligence), 125b (endanger life or personal safety through rashness or negligence, with punishments escalating from fines and short jail time for minor incidents to imprisonment for up to three years if grievous hurt occurs), 255 (penalises public servants who knowingly disobey the law with the intent to shield someone from punishment) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) after the complaint was submitted at Knowledge Park police station on Dec 24.
The complainant, a resident of Delta-1 in Greater Noida, has alleged that a piece of surgical cloth, nearly half a metre long, was left inside her abdomen during childbirth at a private hospital in the Knowledge Park area in Nov 2023. The object remained undetected for 15 months, during which the woman suffered persistent abdominal pain and repeated health complications before it was finally removed during surgery in April this year.Police said an FIR names three doctors from the hospital, including its CMO. The woman, who works as a domestic worker and supplements her income through sewing and embroidery, underwent a Caesarean delivery at a private hospital at Tughlakpur on Nov 14, 2023. She was discharged two days later.Soon after returning home, the woman began experiencing severe abdominal pain. Over the following months, her condition worsened. She developed persistent discomfort and later noticed a lump forming near the surgical site.Unable to cope with the pain, she travelled to her parents’ home in Muzaffarnagar, where doctors advised an ultrasound and further diagnostic tests. She consulted multiple medical facilities there, and later sought treatment at Sharda Hospital in Greater Noida and several other private hospitals. Despite repeated consultations, her treatment continued for months without a clear diagnosis. On March 22 this year, after developing a high fever and experiencing intense abdominal pain, she visited Yatharth City Hospital in Greater Noida’s Delta 1 area. She was given medication, but the cause of her symptoms remained unclear. The woman then approached GIMS Hospital on April 7, where an MRI and other tests were conducted. The reports were described as normal. A day later, on April 8, she sought help at Naveen Hospital in Greater Noida, where doctors advised further imaging and cancer-related tests. On April 14, she visited Kailash Hospital after the abdominal lump became more pronounced and was recommended a second surgery. She underwent a second surgery on April 22. During the procedure, the surgical team discovered and removed a cloth from the woman’s abdomen. The complainant has submitted photographs and video footage of the object being extracted as evidence.The woman’s husband filed a written complaint with the chief medical officer the following day. According to the complaint, the CMO assured the family of a fair inquiry and appointed a two-member medical team for inquiry. However, the complainant alleged that the investigation was deliberately delayed for nearly two months and that the cloth recovered during surgery was never sent for forensic examination.The woman and her husband have alleged that they were threatened and warned against pursuing the case.The woman has stated that the prolonged negligence resulted in her undergoing two major surgeries. During the second operation, she required eight units of blood. Doctors have reportedly informed her that a third surgery is not possible, raising concerns about her ability to conceive again.
