Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has called for a fair investigation into an alleged medical lapse at the government medical college in Wayanad, where a piece of cloth was reportedly left inside a woman’s stomach after childbirth.

In a letter to Kerala Health Minister Veena George, Vadra said the young mother suffered immense pain due to the alleged lapse, warning that it could have become life-threatening. She expressed hope that the investigation ordered by the district medical officer following the woman’s complaint “will be undertaken with fairness and objectivity.”

While acknowledging Kerala’s public healthcare system for making treatment accessible to the majority, Vadra said the Mananthavady Medical College — “a vital lifeline for the public” in her Wayanad parliamentary constituency — was struggling with severe resource constraints.

She cited inadequate manpower and the lack of critical medical equipment as persistent concerns, noting that these issues had been raised earlier with both the central and state governments.

The Congress MP also pointed out that the absence of several medical specialities at the Mananthavady facility forces patients to travel more than 80 kilometres to the government medical college in Kozhikode for treatment.

"Unfortunately, the overstretched capacity of the hospital affects the quality of care provided and has proven fatal in the past," she said.

Vadra urged the government to ensure effective accountability and grievance redressal mechanisms at government hospitals, and called for an impartial investigation into the alleged lapse.

She also requested adequate resource allocation to the hospital so that it can "function effectively and deliver quality care." "It is an urgent need for the people of Wayanad, who are still struggling to access quality healthcare in the region," she added.