ALAPPUZHA – Authorities have initiated a criminal investigation into a retired senior doctor following the discovery of a surgical instrument left inside a patient’s body for nearly three years. The victim, 51-year-old Usha Joseph, had been unknowingly living with an artery forceps in her abdomen since undergoing a procedure at Alappuzha Government Medical College in May 2021.
The Ambalapuzha police filed the case on Friday night against Dr. Lalithambika, the former Head of the Gynaecology Department, following a formal complaint by the victim’s family.
Medical Discovery and Successful Extraction
Usha Joseph, a resident of Punnapra, originally underwent surgery in 2021 for the removal of a uterine fibroid. After years of persistent health issues, the foreign metal object—an artery forceps used to clamp blood vessels—was identified.
On Saturday, February 21, 2026, the instrument was successfully removed during a corrective surgery at Amrita Hospital. To maintain transparency and assist the police investigation, the procedure was observed by the Government Medical College Medical Superintendent, Dr. Ganesh Mohan, and the Head of Surgery, Dr. Abdul Siyad A K. Hospital officials confirmed that the patient is currently in satisfactory condition and recovering well.
Legal Charges and Accountability
The police have registered the FIR under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), specifically focusing on:
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Section 125: Acts that endanger the life or personal safety of others.
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Section 125(a): Causing hurt through a negligent act.
While Dr. Shahida, the surgeon who performed the initial operation, had previously been suspended by the Department of Health Education, the current criminal case centers on Dr. Lalithambika as the department head at the time. Investigators have indicated that additional medical personnel may be named as the probe examines the breakdown in surgical safety protocols that allowed the instrument to be left behind.
