ISLAMABAD: Three months ago, 40-year-old Ansar Bibi got her gall bladder removed “successfully” in a government hospital in her native town of Talagang. But she got rid of her “post-operation complications” only on Wednesday in Pims.

Pims doctors tried to uncover the complications for a week and finally decided to operate upon her. They discovered a surgical towel in her body instead.

Dr Waseem Khawaja who was part of the team which removed the towel told Dawn that it was left upon the pipe of the liver of the patient. “She is out of danger now and is recovering in the surgical ward.”

Ansar Bibi’s husband and son are overjoyed.

“She had returned home from the surgery at the Talagang hospital with incessant nausea and pain in her stomach. Some forgetful medical staff there must have left the towel in her body,” her husband Kausar Abbas told Dawn.

Initially the family thought she was suffering from post-operation trauma but when her condition continued to deteriorate she was taken back to the Talagang hospital.

“They kept her in the hospital for 25 days but could not determine the cause of her problems. Finally they asked me to take her to Pims or the Holy Family Hospital in Rawalpindi,” said the husband, thankful to Allah for bringing her to Pims.

Hugely relieved his wife is regaining her health, Abbas is worried too.

“It was blunder of the doctors of the Talagang hospital. But we are happy she has been saved by Pims’ doctors and is recovering,” he said.

It is a mixed blessing for him for he is a poor gardener in Talagang, though.

“Yes, neither hospital charged for the surgery, but I had to buy all the medicines they prescribed. Me, a poor gardener, had to beg and borrow the nearly Rs90,000 her treatment cost,” Abbas said.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2015

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