A 57-year-old woman from Lucknow has taken legal action against a private medical college and its doctors, alleging they left a surgical instrument inside her abdomen during an operation and then tried to cover up the grave error with fabricated medical reports.
Court Orders FIR After Patient's Plea
Rupa Sharma Singh, a resident of Eldeco City, approached the court of the Judicial Magistrate (V) in Lucknow after her complaints to police authorities went unheeded. The court directed the registration of a First Information Report (FIR), which was filed on Tuesday night. The FIR names 15 individuals, including multiple surgeons, radiologists, consultants, and senior officials of the hospital.
A Painful Ordeal Spanning Months
The complainant's medical nightmare began in January 2023 when she developed acute abdominal pain and sought treatment at the private hospital. After MRI and X-ray examinations, she was advised surgery. The first procedure was performed on February 27, 2023. Due to complications with the stitching, a second surgery followed on March 17, 2023.
Soon after discharge, Singh began suffering from recurrent and severe pain. Despite repeated visits to the hospital between March and May 2023, she claims doctors merely prescribed painkillers, avoided investigating the cause, and continued charging consultation fees. The situation deteriorated in August 2023, when an ultrasound showed abnormalities. She alleges doctors falsely diagnosed appendicitis and pressured her into another surgery, demanding immediate payment.
Shocking Discovery and Subsequent Surgery
Suspecting foul play, Singh sought a second opinion at another private hospital. A CT scan conducted on August 9, 2023, revealed the shocking truth: a foreign surgical object was present inside her abdomen. On August 20, 2023, she underwent another surgery to remove the instrument, which was shown to her family afterwards.
The ordeal did not end there. Singh reportedly developed serious post-operative complications and had to be admitted to the ICU, adding to her physical and mental trauma.
Allegations of Extortion and Conspiracy
Singh has made serious allegations against the hospital. She claims that between February 2023 and August 2023, the hospital extracted nearly Rs 5 lakh from her for treatment, despite allegedly knowing about the retained instrument. She has accused the management of employing inadequately trained staff to maximise profits, amounting to criminal conspiracy, cheating, and forgery of medical records.
After written complaints to the Police Commissioner, the local police station, the Chief Medical Officer, and the District Magistrate in August 2023 yielded no FIR, she was forced to seek judicial intervention. DCP West Zone, Vishwajeet Srivastava, confirmed that an FIR has been registered under sections BNS 125(A) (acts endangering human life) and 125B (grievous hurt caused).
