Medical Apathy in UP: Woman Dies After Surgical Sponge Left Inside Her Body During Hysterectomy at Pilibhit Private Hospital

A 34-year-old woman died from septicemia after a hospital in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit left a surgical sponge inside the body during a hysterectomy procedure. District magistrate (DM) Sanjay Kumar Singh sprung into action after the news and asked chief medical officer (CMO) Dr Alok Kumar on Monday to investigate the matter, reported TOI.

According to the TOI report, a woman named Kheelawati Shankar from Mishrain Gautia village died on December 5 during her second surgery to remove the sponge. A CT scan report of the woman had revealed that the remains of the sponge caused excessive pus and swelling in her internal organs.  

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Kheelawati Shankar was admitted to a private hospital in Devipura village in Pilibhit district on July 7 due to excessive bleeding in urine, said her husband Uma Shankar. The hysterectomy was conducted on the same day by Dr Asha Gangwar, who also works as a senior resident doctor at the District Women's Hospital.

After the procedure of hysterectomy, Uma was discharged from the hospital on July 23 with a summary stating her condition was stable with no complaints, but Uma alleged that she experienced persistent acute pain and swelling in her lower abdomen. 

Uma on December 1 took her wife to a private hospital in Bareilly, where doctors confirmed the presence of the sponge inside her body. Two surgeries were performed by doctors on December 1 and 5 to remove it, but she died hours after the second procedure.