Surgical blade left inside bandage: Sabarimala pilgrim alleges gross negligence

Pathanamthitta: A woman pilgrim to Sabarimala has alleged medical negligence at the government-run hospital in Pamba, claiming that a surgical blade was left inside the bandage applied to a wound on her leg.

The woman, a resident of Kochi, said she has lodged a complaint with the Pathanamthitta District Medical Officer (DMO) over the incident.

Confirming the complaint, the Pathanamthitta DMO said the woman contacted her over the phone on Friday evening to report the matter. “A report has been sought from the hospital regarding the incident. The matter is under investigation,” the DMO said, adding that further action would be taken based on the findings of the report.

Speaking to a television channel, the woman alleged that the person who attended to her at the hospital initially attempted to use a surgical blade to cut her skin. “He first tried to use a surgical blade to cut the skin, but I asked him not to do so,” she said.

She further stated that she had asked the staff member to only bandage the wound, as she was uncomfortable with his behaviour. “I told him to simply bandage the wound, as I was not comfortable with the manner in which he was acting,” she added.

The woman said that after returning to her home in Kochi, she decided to change the dressing. It was then that she discovered a surgical blade inside the bandage wrapped around her leg, she alleged.

With PTI inputs