Does Kerala's celebrated health system need urgent treatment?

Kerala's public healthcare system – long regarded as one of the most robust in India – has come under intense scrutiny in recent months following a series of alleged medical negligence incidents.

For nearly five years, Usha Joseph lived with chronic abdominal pain, unaware that a surgical instrument had been left inside her body during an operation at a government medical college hospital in Kerala’s Alappuzha. The discovery of a 7-cm artery forceps inside her abdomen – years after doctors had stitched her up – has sparked outrage across the state, raising questions about patient safety in a healthcare system long celebrated as a national model.

The incident also ignited a political storm ahead of the Assembly elections, with the Opposition accusing the government of systemic failure even as the ruling CPI(M) dismissed it as an “isolated case”. But Usha’s ordeal is not without precedent. It echoes the case of Harshina from Kozhikode, who endured years of agony before another forceps left behind during a Caesarean surgery was discovered after piercing her bladder.

Between these cases lies a troubling pattern with instances of surgical errors, equipment shortages, delayed treatment, and alleged negligence across government hospitals. This prompts a deeper question: are these aberrations in an otherwise strong system, or warning signs of structural strain in Kerala’s once-admired public health model?

To understand the situation, it is necessary to revisit some of the major negligence cases reported in recent years.

The latest flashpoint emerged earlier this month when Usha discovered that a 7-cm artery forceps had been left inside her abdomen for nearly five years after surgery at a government medical college hospital. The health department ordered inquiries and suspended staff, but the issue quickly escalated into a political controversy, with protests staged outside the health minister’s residence.

The controversy did not arise in isolation. Over the past two years, multiple incidents have drawn attention to alleged lapses in medical care across government facilities.