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UAE resident dies in Kerala after botched surgery

Sandhya, her husband and sons travelled to India for the summer holidays earlier this month.

An Abu Dhabi resident died after undergoing a ’faulty’ sterilisation surgery in a private hospital in her hometown of Aluva in the south Indian state of Kerala.

Sandhya Menon, a 37-year-old nursing professional and mother-of-two, died a tragic death due to an alleged ’anaesthesia mishap’ caused by medical professionals in Aluva, revealed family sources. However, she was declared dead at the Rajagiri Medical College, where she was transferred for emergency treatment, on Monday, a few hours after she went into surgery.

Sandhya, her husband Anoop, and sons aged 12 and six travelled to India for the summer holidays earlier this month. MS Rajeevan, Sandhya’s relative, said her mother accompanied her for the minor procedure on Monday morning. "Since it was a small treatment, she decided to do it during the holidays so that she has time for recovery. After being admitted, she was taken into a pre-operative holding area, where she told her mother there is a mistake in her case file," alleged Rajeevan.

He added: "We think she knew this because she was a trained nurse. The nurses and doctors at the hospital were alerted of this mix-up, and they got hold of her file." Later, she was wheeled into the operation theatre, where the family said she was given a test dose of anaesthesia. The mother was informed they would start the procedure in 10 minutes. Unfortunately, an hour into the surgery, the mother noticed that the staff were running around panicked.

"Her mother realised something was amiss and demanded answers. The staff told her that immediately after the anaesthesia was administered, she became unconscious and was not responding to CPR," alleged another relative, Jayakumar. Later, Sandhya was transported to Rajagiri Medical College, where she was confirmed dead. "The medical college doctors said she may have suffered a cardiac arrest moments after the anaesthesia was administered," added Jayakumar.

The family has sent Sandhya’s body for a detailed post-mortem to the Kalamassery Medical College in Ernakulam and have filed a case against the hospital at a local police station. "Sandhya’s younger brother is in the US and we are waiting for him for the funeral. The funeral will be held tomorrow," Rajeevan said on Tuesday.

Sandhya’s husband is a mechanical engineer working in Abu Dhabi. However, after working as a school nurse in Abu Dhabi for a short while, Sandhya chose to discontinue working after some time. "She completed her BSc Nursing from Kozhikode Medical College. She moved to the UAE immediately after her marriage," said Jayakumar.

According to the relatives, the family is in a state of deep shock. "She was a very sweet and active girl, she had no vices or any other illnesses, and she enjoyed cooking," said Jayakumar. Sandhya was an active part of online cookery groups, where she would post pictures and recipes of dishes she made at home.