The three accused in the Harshina case will be released on bail

A first class court in Kunnamangalam on Tuesday granted bail to three of the four accused in a medical negligence case in which scissors were allegedly left in a woman’s abdomen during a caesarean section.

The first accused, Dr. C. K. Rameshan, professor of gynecology at Government Medical College, Manjeri, the third and fourth accused, M. Rehana and K. G. Manju, staff nurses of Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, were released on bail. The second accused, Dr M. Shahana, who is currently working as a gynecologist in a private hospital in Kottayam, did not appear for the hearing. The court asked about the absence of the second defendant and requested her presence at the next hearing scheduled for July 20. The case was presided over by First Class Judicial Magistrate Vice President Abdul Sathar.

The case dates back to 2017 when the complainant, Harshina KK, underwent a caesarean section at the Government Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode, where the four accused were involved in her surgery. The accused’s alleged misconduct came to light when, a few years later, she sought medical help due to severe abdominal pain. Investigation revealed that arterial forceps were lodged in her abdomen, allegedly during her third delivery, which took place at MCH, Kozhikode on November 30, 2017.

She carried the equipment in her belly for five years before it was surgically removed in 2022. While still undergoing treatment for complications from the infection, Ms. Harishina staged a 154-day protest outside MCH, demanding compensation for the ordeal she had endured.