Patient Stable As Controversy About ‘Needless’ Surgery Lingers On

SRINAGAR: Even as the patient who was operated upon at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) for removal of suspected stones is stable, the controversy surrounding the surgery lingers on. While the doctors are almost unanimous there was no negligence in the matter, the patient’s relatives are sore at the way an un-necessary surgery was forced on her.

According to reports, Aaliya Liaqat w/o Liaqat Hussein of Court road here was operated upon Saturday for suspected stones in her kidneys though repeated X-rays taken on the fateful day did not show any definite presence of the calculus. Her relatives alleged the surgery was not warranted after the X—rays were negative.

The surgery evoked instant protest from the relatives of patient, mother of an 8-month old baby. They alleged the head of concerned department, Dr' Baldev Singh, had insisted to have the surgery performed. They accused the doctor of having threatened them following a tiff a few days earlier.

In a communication to Kashmir Observer, Dr Singh denied he had conducted the operation and described the report, circulated by CNS news agency, as baseless and aimed at maligning his image. He said, “The fact is that I had advised an X-ray for the patient before any surgical intervention but a consultant urologist conducted the said surgery with my knowledge”. Later on, he said, “on the request of Director SKIMS I helped the concerned urologist in closing the patient and stent was put for effective drainage”.

Talking to Observer News Service, Dr Singh denied there was any negligence on the part of doctors. ‘These things can happen in the medical profession", he said, adding the surgery was done with the written consent of a close relative of the Patient. He said the patient was admitted by Dr Tajamul the consultant who was not required to seek any directive from him. Denying that he has threatened the patients’ relative, Dr. Singh Said he might have told them to leave the ward during the morning round.

When contacted Dr, Tajamul Fazili told Observer News Service that patients was admitted by Dr. Singh. The X-rays of the obese patient had shown stones at the OPD stage and admitted accordingly. On Saturday he said the first two X-rays revealed thre were no stones. A third one was taken with double exposure which showed a shadow coinciding with the X-ray taken at the ‘OPD stage’. Dr Fazili said, “Most probably it was a friable (soft) stone which got crushed and passed down the ureter during the surgical manipulation.” He said a small stent was kept inside to ensure safe passage of any small bit.

Dr Fazili said 'Saturday was utilised as an additional theatre day to make good for the hartal days. “We were convinced the patient did have stones. But when I could not locate it, I sought help from Dr Singh”, he said.

The director of the Institute, Prof Me’raj-ud-din, said there was nothing abnormal about the surgery nor was there any negligence on the part of doctors. ‘The stone must have been friable going down the ureter and the gravel coming out of its own”, he said. He ruled out any enquiry into the episode.

Joining the issue, a close relative of the patient, pleading anonymity, told Observer News Service the surgery was absolutely uncalled for the moment the doctors knew there was no stone. The written consent had been given when she was brought to operation theatre in the morning. However, she was turned back from there and

asked to get in her X—ray done. After that an anesthesia was given to her for the second time and the surgery conducted despite the relatives’ pleas against it and without seeking a fresh consent from them. The relative said the patient had suffered heavy blood loss which could have proved fatal. The relative alleged Dr Singh had visited the ward against asking them to return the X-rays which were lying with them.

Meanwhile, according to Dr Singh the patient was stable.