The scandals produced by the negligence of doctors are among the most unimaginable. Such is the case of a patient named Blerta Xhaferraj, who after undergoing an operation, the doctor forgot a full bandage of considerable length on her stomach.
From the imaging it came out about 11 centimeters long, but we have to take into account that it has been assembled. At the time of extraction from the womb, it seems that the bandage was even longer.
Due to the psychological shock she suffered, Ms. Xhaferraj still physically keeps this bandage even after 3 years as proof of a medical scandal.
But how did the story begin that endangered the life of the 51-year-old woman, who, despite a court decision in her favor, is not getting the justice she deserves?
Referring to the documents, the patient underwent an operation at the private hospital 'Hygeia' on March 5, 2020 for the removal of a mass of foreign flesh in the uterus. The operation in the private hospital was performed by surgeon Helidon Klosi, who was also arrested in 2016 under the charge of "negligent medicine". 10 days later, the patient had her legs removed. But the consequences of the bandage inside the body were beginning to be felt, manifesting with abdominal pain and fever. She never got back to normal and expressed concern to Dr. Klosi. In the following months, the situation worsened.
Referring to the act of expertise carried out by the forensic doctor, the serious mistake in the private hospital could have cost the patient's life. This is also revealed by his discussion in the courtroom, which we have been able to provide in the audio version.
"In this particular case, the miracle and luck that happened to this patient happened that this gauze was encapsulated. So the pus was inserted as if in a capsule, because if it had been otherwise decapsulated, the phenomenon of damage to the organism would have been great, the pus could have spread throughout the body, endangering his life."
Despite this shocking finding, the lawyer of the private hospital defends herself in the courtroom by claiming that the patient's concerns did not come from the remnant of the bandage inside her abdomen.
Her claim has been dismissed by the expert report, but even if it were true, it cannot justify what is a fact: leaving a large gauze on the patient's body.
"The plaintiff, after the intervention she made, went for a check-up after 3 months, if it wasn't a concern, then if she hadn't done it, she could still have the gauze today. I claimed this, I did not claim that it could be absorbed, there is a human error."
The surgeon offered the patient the intervention to remove the gauze, but Blerta Xhaferraj had lost faith and decided to perform the operation at QSUT.
"Inside Story" has also broadcast the shocking moments when the doctors remove the forgotten bandage after the operation at the Hygeia Hospital.
In appearance, the cleaning of the pus spread by the presence of the bandage inside the body is also visible.
Through this indisputable film evidence and medical examinations, the court concluded that the doctor and the private hospital were guilty. In the end, a compensation of 3.5 million new lek was decided for the patient out of the 6 million she requested.
However, Mrs. Xhaferraj did not receive any money as the decision with temporary execution was refused, that is, before the case took its final form. The case has not yet been examined in the Appeal, a process that, due to the workload in the courts, can last for years.
Often times, patients have not been able to get justice as they may have left this world.