Surgical gauze left inside woman during C-section in Narsingdi

A woman undergoing a caesarean section at a private hospital in Narsingdi was allegedly stitched up with an 18-inch-long surgical mop left inside her abdomen, an incident that has left her in critical condition.

The Narsingdi Civil Surgeon's office has formed a three-member probe committee to investigate the matter.

Meanwhile, the hospital authorities reportedly offered Tk 1.5 lakh to the victim's family for an out-of-court settlement.

The victim, Lima Akter, 28, is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Dhaka.

Yesterday, the victim's brother submitted a written complaint to the Narsingdi Civil Surgeon's office.

According to the complaint, Lima was admitted to Narsingdi City Hospital on June 17 with labour pains.

Under the supervision of physician Shiuli Akter, she underwent a C-section and gave birth to a boy.

It was alleged that a piece of surgical gauze, commonly referred to as a "mop", was left inside her abdomen during the procedure. After being discharged on June 21, Lima began experiencing severe abdominal pain.

She was taken back to the same hospital on June 25, where doctors reportedly claimed they found no complications.

Later, another local doctor advised that she be urgently taken to Dhaka, suspecting something was lodged inside her abdomen. Lima was then taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and later shifted to a private hospital due to inadequate services, the complaint said.

Subsequent tests at the private hospital confirmed the presence of the surgical mop inside her abdomen.

On July 3, a second surgery, led by Brig Gen AHM Shakhawat Hossain, removed the 18-inch-long gauze.

However, Lima still remains in critical condition.

Zahirul Islam, Lima's brother, said, "My sister is fighting for her life. She has a severe infection, her abdomen is swollen, emitting a foul odor, and she is in constant pain. She had to be in ICU for five days. Her newborn is deprived of maternal care and breastfeeding, putting his life at risk as well. Our entire family is devastated, both mentally and financially."

"We have filed a formal complaint with the civil surgeon's office and are preparing to take the matter to the BMDC and the court," he added.

When contacted, Ratan Mia, managing director of Narsingdi City Hospital, said, "After learning of the issue, we visited the patient's home and offered Tk 1.5 lakh as compensation. It was an unintentional mistake. We also offered to bear the cost of treatment."

Narsingdi Civil Surgeon Syed Md Amirul Haque said, "The incident is extremely serious and unfortunate. Appropriate action will be taken once the report is submitted."