THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association (KGMCTA) on Monday refuted the allegations of a Pathanapuram woman that the doctors at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital (MCH) left her surgical wound open and unhealed, and said that she was given the best treatment.
According to the association, the woman was infected with a multi-drug-resistant pathogen called Klebsiella pneumoniae which made the healing process difficult.
“The doctors did not suture her wound immediately as it was the proven method to deal with wounds that are resistant to healing. The doctors said her wound took time to heal because of the pathogen,” said the association members. The patient’s plight was highlighted by Pathanapuram MLA K B Ganesh Kumar, who accused the doctors of negligence. The MLA alleged that the doctors did not stitch her wounds after an abdomen surgery and let them fill with pus. She was later shifted to a private hospital in Ernakulam.
According to KGMCTA, the woman approached the MCH in 2022 after seven surgeries to remove the infection failed. She had undergone surgery to remove an ovarian cyst at a private hospital in Kollam. The doctors admitted that the initial efforts to treat the repeated infection were not successful and the patient had to get admitted in the hospital for 20 days on different occasions. She was asked to go home to prevent cross-infection from hospitals.
“The patient was briefed about her condition. She was also advised to approach a local hospital to dress her wound and report back when the pus subsides. However, she did not get herself admitted when it was time to stitch the wound,” said the statement. There were cases where the wound was kept open for 60 months without stitching. KGMCTA demanded the MLA not to tarnish the reputation of doctors and the medical college with baseless allegations.
Key points
According to the association, the woman was infected with a multi-drug-resistant pathogen which made the healing process difficult
The patient’s plight was highlighted by Pathanapuram MLA K B Ganesh Kumar, who accused the doctors of negligence