Published On : Sat, Apr 19th, 2014

OCHRI operation reveals no cotton swab left in patient’s stomach at city’s private hospital

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The female patient who was suffering acute pain in stomach after operation was not due to any cotton swab in her stomach but was due to a fluid collection in the lower uterine segment. This was revealed after the female patient underwent an emergency operation at Orange City Hospital and Research Institute (OCHRI) in city on Friday (April 18) night.

Pic-1Nagpur News.

The utter chaos and high-voltage drama over an incident wherein the family members of a female patient had alleged that a doctor left cotton swab in her stomach during operation at a private hospital (Matru Sewa Sangh Hospital situated in Sitabuldi) turned out to be “comedy of errors” or “much ado about nothing.”  The female patient who was suffering acute pain in stomach after operation was not due to any cotton swab in her stomach but was due to a fluid collection in the lower uterine segment. This was revealed after the female patient underwent an emergency operation at Orange City Hospital and Research Institute (OCHRI) in city on Friday (April 18) night.

Talking to Nagpur Today, Dr Anup Marar, Director (Administration, OCHRI) said the patient Kanchan Sunil Gokhlani (28), resident of Sindhi Colony, Khamla, Nagpur, was admitted at Orange City Hospital & Research Institute, Nagpur on Friday at 3 pm with complaints of severe pain in abdomen (Rt. Iliac fossa) and inability to move right lower side since 15 days. In view of the allegations leveled against another hospital, medico-legal intimation as per norms was done with Dhantoli Police Station. (A press release has also been released by OCHRI in this connection).

Dr Marar further said the past history of the patient was that she underwent emergency Caesarian at other Hospital on 30.03.2014. CT abdomen at Meditrina Hospital done by her relatives on 16.04.2014 had revealed large ill defined, hypodense heterogeneously enhancing collection in the Pouch of Douglas with adjacent moderate fat stranding with heterogenous enhancement in the lower uterine segment. Small linear hypo density without myometrial wall likely post operative. B/L Minimal Pleural Effusion. MRI Spine at same center showed s/o Mild bulge of L5-S1 disc with loss of hydrate Type 1 Annular tear. On examination at OCHRI, the patient was diagnosed severe tenderness in right Iliac fossa, Pedal pulses present and ECG showed s/o Anteroseptal ST-T changes, Dr Marar said.

At OCHRI Kanchan Gokhlani was seen by  Dr. Sindhu Bhute, Gynecologist & Obstetrician,  Dr. Bindu Marar, Gynecologist & Obstetrician,  Dr. Nikhil Balankhe, Critical Care Physician,  Dr. Rohit Gupta,  Vascular Surgeon and Dr. Tushar Bhure, Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr Neeta Deshpande, Anesthesiologist, Dr Ninad Gawande, Forensic Expert, said Dr Marar.

The Director (Administration, OCHRI) further said that after explaining the risks to relatives and related investigations and consent formalities, the patient was taken for surgery by Dr. Sindhu Bhute, & Dr. Bindu Marar. Dr. Mukund Thakur, General Surgeon was also additionally called for surgical opinion. Dr. Neeta Deshpande rendered requisite anesthesia. Expert opinion of Dr. Ninad Gawande, Medico-legal Consultant was also taken. Husband of patient was also called in side operation theatre to show the contents. The operation revealed blood tinged fluid approximately 150 ml noted in peritoneal cavity. S/old appendicectomy. There were few omental adhesions which were separated intra-operatively. The fluid has been preserved to be handed over to police, Dr Marar said.

At present, the patient is recuperating in Gynecology Ward and is under observation of treating doctors.

The OCHRI operation has revealed no cotton swab or any other material was left in patient’s stomach at Matru Seva Hospital after the emergency operation. However, the fluid collection in stomach that caused severe pain to patient may be a subject of investigation by medical experts and subsequent allegations of doctor’s negligence may hold water. The allegations of patient’s relatives grabbed headlines across city’s media and the hospital came under dark clouds. Nagpur Today had flashed the report titled: “Kin allege doctor’s negligence; cotton swab left in the stomach during operation” wherein it was reported: In another case of Doctor’s negligence, the family members of a patient had alleged that a doctor left a cotton swab in the stomach during an operation performed on her at Matru Sewa Sangh Hospital situated at Sitabuldi Hospital.

Sunil Gokhlani aged 34 years and a resident of Plot no 365, Sindhi Colony, Khamla is a vegetable seller and father of two daughters. His pregnant wife, identified as Kanchan Sunil Gokhlani aged 28 years, was admitted in Matru Sewa Sangh Hospital, Near Jhansi Rani Square, under jurisdiction of Sitabuldi Police Station on March 30, 2014. She was undergoing treatment from March 30, 2014 to April 8, 2014.

She had to undergo a caesarian section to deliver the couple’s third child, who also happened to be a baby girl. A few days after the operation she started complaining of stomach pain. Since Gokhlani is a poor vegetable vendor, he took his wife and showed her to a family doctor near their home in Khamla. This doctor suggested that Kanchan should be shown to admitted as soon as possible.

On the basis of this advice, Sunil took his wife to Eastern Hospital, Telephone Exchange Square, Near Dhawde Mohalla, Wardhaman Nagar. When the pain continued, Dr Mohan Kumar of Eastern Hospital gave some antibiotics and pain killers. When the pain did not diminish, he suggested Kanchan should undergo some diagnostic tests which included Sonography, MRI etc. Kanchan underwent the diagnostic tests from Meditrina Hospital in Ramdaspeth on April 16, 2014. The test results showed some object near the uterus which looked like cotton.

Sunil Gokhlani became very sad and confused and worried what he should do next. He contacted the President of Yuva Kranti Manch Panju Totwani and told his problems and the problems faced by his wife to Panju Totwani and Social Activist Tinku Digwaha and others. After hearing all the problems, Panju Totwani, Tinku Digwaha and their team went along with all the documents and the test results to Matru Sewa Sangh Hospital.

There they spoke with the Secretary of Matru Sewa Sangh Lata Deshmukh. Initially, she did not accept the onus of the problem. But seeing the strong crowd where her fake assurances would not matter much, she called President Aruna Sudhir Babhulkar. Panju Totwani, Tinku Digwaha and others spoke with Aruna whereupon she took the Xerox copies of all the documents and the test results etc. Lata Deshmukh said she will conduct a detailed enquiry into the matter and she also assured that they will take strong action against the doctor who has made a mistake. Panju Totwani and others asked her who will bear the cost of the operation and subsequuent treatment, Lata immediately spoke with Dr Mohan , Kanchan’s present doctor and asked if there was cotton shown in the Sonography. Dr Mohan clarified that cotton like material or object is present in the stomach. According to him, it could be a cyst or pus. He added that it could also be the result of low immunity, which could have resulted in an infection. Dr Mohan clarified that unless we operate on Kanchan, nothing conclusive could be said at the.

Dr Aruna Babhulkar explained that whatever is present, we will discuss peacefully and draw a safe and mutually beneficial conclusion. She said that shouting would only send a wrong message to the other patients.

Nagpur Today reporter spoke to Dr Mohan of Eastern Hospital; he said that at the moment the condition of the patient is not critical. However, the patients have to be operated soon. When asked if there was a cotton in the stomach? He once again clarified that cotton like material or object is present in the stomach. It could be a cyst or pus.

He added that this operation is not possible in his hospital but some hospital where proper ICU with all technicians and other specialists exists. He added that the operation could be done at Matru Sewa Sangh Hospital itself.

When Nagpur Today spoke to Panju Totwani, Tinku Digwaha and others, they said that a poor and needy person should get justice and favourable treatment. If not we will intensify our agitation against Matru Sewa Sangh Hospital.