Botched surgery: Congress to stage protests against Health Minister in Kozhikode

Harshina has accused the Government Medical College Hospital staff of leaving an artery forceps in her abdomen during a C-Section surgery in 2017.

District Congress Committee president K. Praveenkumar has said that protest demonstrations will be staged near the venues of events to be attended by Health Minister Veena George in Kozhikode, if proper compensation is not paid to K.K. Harshina, who has accused the Government Medical College Hospital staff of leaving an artery forceps in her abdomen during a C-Section surgery in 2017.

The DCC president was opening a protest march to the office of the District Police Chief (Kozhikode) on Tuesday. Mr. Praveenkumar alleged that Ms. George had gone back on her promise given in March that she would consider the demands of Ms. Harshina.

It was yet to be proved how the device, removed through another surgery in 2022, landed in her stomach. He also claimed that the police were not investigating into a complaint lodged against the hospital authorities. “Action should be taken against then principal of the medical college, hospital superintendent, the doctor who treated Ms. Harshina, and the head of the department of surgery,” Mr. Praveenkumar said.

Meanwhile, Ms. Harshina was admitted to the Government General Hospital, Kozhikode, after she felt uneasiness during the protest meeting. She was discharged later. Ms. Harshina has been staging an indefinite satyagraha outside the medical college hospital for over a month now.

The march was organised by an action panel comprising political parties such as the Congress, Indian Union Muslim League, and the Welfare Party of India. The action panel is planning to hold a demonstration by preparing rice gruel outside the medical college on the Bakrid Day on Thursday.