Hyderabad: Nizam's Institute of Medical Science fined ₹5Lakh for cotton in stomach

HYDERABAD: Nearly 13 years after she underwent a surgery in NIMS during when doctors left a cotton surgical mopping pad inside her abdomen, a Warangal woman was awarded Rs 5 lakh compensation by the Telangana State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (TSCDRC).
Upholding the ruling of district consumer forum, the TSCDRC also told NIMS to provide Rs 60,000 to A Mallikamba towards medical expenses incurred by her.
Mallikamba of Geesukonda mandal filed a petition against then NIMS director and surgical gastrology head of the department, Dr RA Sastry, for the serious medical lapse and mental agony caused to her.
It all began when Mallikamba went to NIMS with complaints of abdominal pain and was diagnosed with a cystic lesion in the pancreas. NIMS doctors performed a surgery on November 3, 2009, and discharged her on November 10 that year.
After two years, Mallikamba started getting unbearable abdominal pain and body pains. She went to a local clinic in Warangal and after undergoing some tests, she was told that there was a tumour-like object in her abdomen. They suggested another surgery to remove it. On August 22, 2012, she underwent another operation in Sakhamuri Narayana Memorial Nursing Home in Warangal. The hospital informed her that a surgical mop was left behind in her abdomen during her previous surgery.
It was then she approached the district consumer forum, complaining about her physical and monetary loss.
NIMS doctors, in their defence, said the patient did not suffer any permanent disability since none of her internal organs was affected though they had accidentally left behind the surgical mop.