According to LiveLaw, the Madras High Court has mandated an inquiry by the Tamil Nadu Medical Council regarding alleged medical negligence. Justice PT Asha issued this directive after a woman named Sangeetha alleged that a surgical needle remained inside her abdomen for over a decade. The court rejected arguments that the legal petition was filed too late, noting that the petitioner’s economic status prevented her from accessing timely healthcare. The judge emphasized that the woman belonged to the lower strata of society and could not afford the luxury of seeking medical attention for her chronic pain.
Sangeetha underwent a Lower Segment Caesarean Section and tubectomy at the Corporation Maternity Hospital in Ayanavaram in 2010. She reported enduring severe abdominal pain, bleeding, and weight loss in the years following the procedure. Her husband, a daily wage laborer, lacked the financial means to address these symptoms. It was not until 2022, when she visited Kilpauk Government Hospital for vomiting and acute pain, that a five-centimeter needle was identified in her abdomen via X-ray. She subsequently underwent a second surgery to remove the foreign object.
LiveLaw reported that intra-operative findings from the 2022 procedure documented the needle’s presence. The court described the original surgical performance as callous and stated that the incident necessitates a formal investigation. Justice Asha observed that the petitioner could not have reasonably suspected a needle was left inside her body. The court held that the suffering endured by the woman could not be dismissed due to the 12-year gap between the surgery and the legal action. "This incident definitely requires an investigation," the court stated, according to the LiveLaw report.
The petitioner’s counsel, M/s C.V. Salin Nisha, argued that the doctor responsible for the initial surgery had not been held accountable. The respondents were represented by State Government Pleader Mrs. Indhu Karunakaran SGP and Mrs. Nithya Muthukumaraswamy. The court directed the Medical Council to hear both sides and issue appropriate orders regarding the negligence. This order ensures that the inquiry proceeds despite the significant delay in filing the petition, prioritizing the petitioner’s right to redress over procedural technicalities.