Needle found near toddler's ribs a year after birth, parents allege negligence
A police case has been registered after a complaint that a needle was found lodged in the body of a one-and-a-quarter-year-old child who had earlier undergone treatment at Kottayam Medical College Hospital. The complaint, filed by the child’s mother, alleges medical negligence.
Alongside the police case under Section 125(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, separate inquiries are being conducted by the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the Women and Child Development Department. The hospital has also completed an internal inquiry, which found no lapse in treatment.
According to the complaint lodged by Anju Vineesh, she gave birth to the child at Kottayam Medical College Hospital on June 24, 2025. The baby was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit on the second day after birth after developing fever and symptoms of jaundice.
The family alleged that the needle was left inside the child’s body during treatment at the Kottayam hospital. They said it was detected near the child’s right ribs during an examination at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital in July 2026 and was later removed through surgery.
The child, Advika, is the daughter of T T Vineesh and Anju of Nadoola in Chathamangalam, Chooloor, Kozhikode. The parents had earlier sought an inquiry, alleging that the needle, measuring about one inch, had entered her body while she was being treated at Kottayam Medical College Hospital.
Meanwhile, a team of doctors set up by the hospital submitted its inquiry report to the superintendent last week. The report said there was no lapse in treatment and that it was unlikely that the needle had entered the child’s body at Kottayam Medical College Hospital.
The report said the child had undergone an ultrasound scan at the hospital, but no needle was detected then. It also said the inquiry team recorded statements from doctors and staff of the Neonatology Department, and noted that the parents had not produced the discharge card from Kozhikode Medical College.
The hospital inquiry was conducted by a committee comprising Deputy Superintendent Dr Frederick Paul, Head of the Gynaecology Department Dr R Beena Kumari and Head of the General Surgery Department Dr Binny John. The case now remains under police investigation, while separate inquiries by the child rights body and the Women and Child Development Department are also under way.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Sep 15, 2026 21:25 IST
