We have heard cases of medical negligence but this one seems to cross all limits. This paper had a front-page report on April 8, about a 37-year-old man who died days after a surgical mop was left behind in his stomach during an operation at a renowned Pune hospital.

The patient had undergone a surgery for a stab wound he suffered after being attacked by a neighbour in a fight. Post the operation, his condition deteriorated. He had reportedly contracted septicemia (blood poisoning). The post-mortem found the cause of death to be the presence of a foreign object (read: the mop). However, instead of acknowledging and starting an investigation, there was an attempt to hush up the matter.