Half-metre cloth left in woman's abdomen during delivery at Greater Noida hospital; 6 booked

Noida, Dec 27 (PTI) An FIR has been lodged against doctors of a private hospital in Greater Noida, besides senior health officials, after a women alleged that a half-metre-long surgical cloth had been left inside her abdomen during a delivery procedure in 2023, causing severe pain for nearly one-and-a-half years, police said on Saturday.

On a court's directions, the Knowledge Park police station on December 24 registered an FIR against six persons, including doctors Anjana Agarwal and Manish Goyal, Gautam Buddh Nagar Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Narendra Kumar, and health department officials Chandan Soni and Asha Kiran Chaudhary, police said.

According to the FIR, the complainant, Anshul Verma, a resident of sector Delta One in Greater Noida, who works as a domestic help and also does sewing and embroidery work for livelihood -- alleged she underwent a delivery operation on November 14, 2023, at Bakson Hospital in Tughlakpur, performed by Dr Agarwal.

The FIR said, due to negligence during the procedure, approximately half-a-metre of surgical cloth was left inside her abdomen. She was discharged from the hospital on November 16, 2023.

Soon after, her health began deteriorating and she experienced persistent and worsening abdominal pain. The woman said she later went to her parental home in Muzaffarnagar, where doctors advised medical tests, including an ultrasound.

The complainant stated that she consulted doctors at Sharda Hospital in Greater Noida and several other private hospitals, but none suspected that a foreign object had been left inside her abdomen. Despite months of treatment, the cause of the pain remained undiagnosed, the FIR said.

On March 22, 2025, she visited Yatharth City Hospital in Greater Noida with high fever and severe abdominal pain, but the exact cause could not be determined, it added. She later underwent further tests, including an MRI, at GIMS Hospital in early April, though reports were stated to be normal.

According to the FIR, the woman subsequently approached Kailash Hospital in Greater Noida, where doctors advised surgery after detecting a lump in her abdomen. The operation was performed on April 22, 2025.

During the surgery, doctors reportedly removed a half-metre-long cloth from her abdomen, which the complainant alleged was the same cloth left inside during the 2023 delivery operation. She claimed to possess photographs and videos of the cloth as evidence.

The woman's husband later submitted a written complaint to the CMO, following which an internal inquiry was ordered and two health department officials were appointed as investigating officers, the FIR said.

The complainant alleged that the inquiry was delayed and that the cloth removed from her abdomen was not sent for forensic examination. She also alleged that she and her husband were threatened by the accused to remain silent.

The FIR further claimed that due to the alleged negligence, the woman had to undergo two major surgeries and received eight units of blood during the second procedure. Doctors have reportedly stated that further surgery is not possible, which could affect her ability to conceive again.

Station House Officer Sarvesh Chandra said, "An FIR has been registered and investigation is underway." Chief Medical Officer Narendra Kumar told PTI that action would be taken in accordance with court directions.

He denied allegations of delay, saying the cloth was not provided to the investigating officers in time. PTI COR KIS ARB ARB