Thiruvananthapuram, April 20: Kerala’s Health Department has issued a comprehensive set of guidelines to restore public confidence after two incidents in which surgical instruments were left inside women’s abdomens and discovered only much later. The move follows public concern and aims to eliminate surgical errors and tighten accountability across hospitals.
The new directives require every patient to wear a wristband containing full surgical details and mandate that the exact body part to be operated on be clearly marked before entering the operating theatre. Use of mobile phones inside operation theatres is strictly banned to ensure undivided attention and maintain sterile protocol. The rules apply to all procedures, from minor to major surgery.
A detailed pre-operative verification process is now compulsory. Doctors and nurses must confirm that inpatient numbers and case records are complete. The ward doctor and nurse in charge must fill out and sign a pre-operative checklist, which must then be reviewed and countersigned by the nursing officer overseeing the operating theatre. Only after these steps are completed may a patient be moved in for surgery.
The guidelines put strong emphasis on instrument accountability. Hospitals are required to carry out a thorough count of all surgical instruments and consumables before and after every procedure. Names and quantities of instruments must be displayed on a whiteboard prior to surgery and re-verified post-operation, with the completed checklist submitted to the concerned authority. Officials say the framework is intended to clarify responsibility and make it harder for lapses to be overlooked or for blame to be shifted.
One glaring case involved a 51‑year‑old woman, Usha Josephkutty of Punnapra, who underwent a hysterectomy on May 10, 2021. She suffered persistent abdominal pain and episodes of blood in her urine for years until an X‑ray in February revealed a Metzenbaum scissor lodged inside her abdomen; the instrument was removed in a follow‑up surgery that month, nearly five years after the original operation.
Kerala’s earlier widely reported case involved Harshina of Kozhikode, who on November 30, 2017 had a third Caesarean section at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital. A pair of surgical forceps was allegedly left inside her abdomen and was detected and removed only in September 2022. Harshina continues to pursue legal action seeking accountability and redress for her prolonged suffering.
Officials say the stricter protocols are intended to prevent repeat incidents, strengthen surgical safety, and rebuild trust in the public health system.
Original Source: https://assamtribune.com/national/two-incidents-prompt-kerala-to-tighten-surgical-protocols-1610785
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Publish Date: 2026-04-20 14:22:00
