Guide Wire Left in Patient’s Chest After Surgery; Life at Risk Due to Doctor’s Negligence

Thiruvananthapuram (The Uttam Hindu)- A shocking case of negligence of doctors has come to light from Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital. Its 'wires' are connected to Sumaya of Kerala, whose life changed when a guide wire, i.e. a thin metal wire, was left in her chest after surgery. This wire was inserted in the body along with the central line to give medicine, but was not removed later.

This matter came to light when an audio clip went viral on social media, in which the doctor himself was heard admitting this mistake. Talking to Sumaiyya's relative, the doctor said, "What happened was really a mistake." The doctor said that this mistake came to light only after the X-ray, and he also said that those who were inserting the tube to give medicine are the real culprits. However, Sumaiyya's family alleges that the doctor already knew that the guide wire was left inside the body, but he deliberately hid this fact. Sumaiyya Malayinkeezhu, a resident of Kattakkada in Kerala, underwent thyroid surgery at Thiruvananthapuram General Hospital on 22 March 2023. After the surgery, when it became difficult to find the veins, the doctors inserted a central line to transfuse medicine and blood. A guide wire was used in this process, but it was left inside.

Later, when Sumaiyya's health started deteriorating, she was taken to Sri Chitra Institute. The examination there revealed that the thing stuck in her chest was the same guide wire. Now that wire has stuck to the blood vessels and the doctors have said that it is not possible to remove it through surgery, due to which Sumaiyya is now living with the consequences of this mistake. Sumaiyya's health is continuously deteriorating, and she has appealed to the health department against this negligence and has also met the leader of the opposition with her complaint. She says that she is suffering a lot of physical and mental problems due to this incident, so she should get justice and better treatment. As the matter came to light in the media, the District Medical Officer (DMO) has sought a detailed report of the entire matter from the hospital administration. The matter is being investigated. A similar case came to light in the year 2017, when a scissors was left in the stomach of a woman named Harshina after an operation at Kozhikode Medical College. Harshina had been suffering from stomach pain for many years, but no reason could be understood. When the test was done, it was found that a scissor was left in the stomach, which was later removed through surgery.