In a shocking case, doctors of a government hospital in Rampurhat in Birbhum district of West Bengal operated upon a woman on Wednesday and removed 1.6 kgs jewellery like chains, nose rings, earrings, bangles, anklets, wrist bands and watches, 90 coins in the denomination of Rs. 5 and Rs. 10 from her stomach.
Siddhartha Biswas, the head of the surgery department in the Rampurhat Government Medical College and Hospital confirmed that in the surgery on a woman named Runi Khatun (22) which lasted for 1 hour and 15 minutes, the doctors removed jewellery and coins from her stomach.
“We removed a total of 90 coins from the stomach of the woman,” Dr Biswas said after the surgery. The ornaments were mostly made of copper and brass but some golden jewellery was also there, he confirmed.
Her condition is said to be stable but will be put under psychiatrist treatment as the lady is said to be mentally unsound, confirmed Sharmila Moulik, the deputy superintendent of the hospital.
Family members brought Khatun, a resident of Margram in Rampurhat sub-division of Birbhum district, to the hospital a week ago when she complained of stomach pain and nausea. After radiological tests, doctors found metal objects in her stomach.
According to Khatun’s mother, her daughter is mentally unsound. “For the past few days she used to throw up every time after having a meal,” the mother said.
She confirmed that her daughter got the coins from her brother’s costume jewellery shop which she also used to look after. “We have noticed that ornaments are disappearing. But whenever we questioned her, she started crying,” she said.
“We used to keep a watch on her. But somehow she managed to swallow all these materials. She was not well for the past two months. We had taken her to various private doctors and she was on medication without any result,” the mother said.
Meanwhile, a doctor, who was a part of the operating team, confirmed: “She swallowed jewellery and coin whenever she felt hungry.” The doctor spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media.