FOR three years, she put up with the pain. Last month, she could bear it no longer, so Madam Rusinah Yatim, 40, sought treatment at the Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital in Sungai Petani, Kedah.



There, X-rays revealed that she had a foreign object in her abdomen.

She was referred to the Alor Star Hospital where she had had surgery three years ago to remove renal stones, reported the New Straits Times (NST).

Madam Rusinah went under the knife again on Thursday, and a 32cm-long tube was removed from her body.

The mother of four believes that the tube had been left there during her 2004 surgery.

She is thinking of suing the hospital for negligence.

Her husband, Mr Zamil Ibrahim, 40, told NST that she started feeling severe abdominal pain a few months after the first surgery.

He said: 'At first, we thought the pain was due to some leftover renal stones. But it became worse during the middle of last year. It affected her terribly.'

He added that there was blood in Madam Rusinah's urine.

Mr Zamil said: 'I tried to get an explanation from Alor Star Hospital but they refused to cooperate.'

Alor Star Hospital director Dr Che Pah Ahmad said that Madam Rusinah was supposed to have had the plastic tube removed two weeks after undergoing the first surgery, but she did not turn up for her appointment.

Dr Che Pah said: 'A doctor has explained the matter to the couple. I believe it is a misunderstanding.'

As for Mr Zamil's claim that the hospital did not cooperate when he sought an explanation, Dr Che Pah said that he had not approached her.

Asked if the hospital contacted patients who did not show up for their appointments, she said: 'I'm not sure whether the hospital tried to contact her again.'