Left with a piece of gauze in her lower abdomen during a routine procedure, a 29-year-old woman has charged a hospital with medical negligence.
Sandhya Vaidyanathan has had to undergo three surgeries and the removal of her ovary since the botched procedure over two years ago. She has started a campaign seeking cancellation of medical licences of the doctors involved.
It began in May 2013 for Ms. Vaidyanathan, an artist-designer, who underwent Hysterosalpingo-graphy, a procedure to investigate the uterine cavity and fallopian tube, at Sure Fertility Clinic, J.P. Nagar.
Shockingly, 11 days later, she pulled out a piece of gauze from her vagina — something suspected to have been left behind during the procedure. It was covered in pus and blood.
However, when she confronted hospital authorities, she was told that while a mistake had been made, there was “nothing serious” about it. Senior authorities of the hospital were even alleged to have said, “Everything that goes in has to come out.”
After a series of unsuccessful attempts at intrauterine insemination, a scan revealed a ‘cervical nabothian cyst’, something suspected to have been caused due to the botched procedure, in October. When it persisted despite antibiotics, she underwent three surgeries, the last of which saw her left ovary being removed.
“I have longed to be a mother… But the manner in which my body has been abused, it appears like we have only In Vitro Fertilisation or adoption as options,” she said.
The fight didn’t end there. She shared her story on social media, and even started a petition that has received the support of nearly 7,500 signatures in three days.
On Monday, her attempts at filing a complaint were refused by the MICO Layout Police, citing jurisdictional issues. However, as the story gained traction on social media, the police have relented and assured her of taking the complaint on Tuesday.
A spokesperson of the hospital — which has since become a part of a nation-wide hospital chain — says: “We have made a note of the complaint…We are currently reviewing the situation internally.”
I have longed to be a mother… But the manner in which my body has been abused, it appears like we have only In Vitro Fertilisation or adoption as options.
Sandhya Vaidyanathan
