Wellington: In a severe case of medical negligence, a New Zealand woman found a surgical tool, the size of a dinner plate, in her abdomen 18 months after her C-section delivery, the media reported. New Zealand’s Health and Disability Commissioner, Morag McDowell, found Te Whatu Ora Auckland — the Auckland District Health Board — in breach of the code of patient rights, in a report released on Monday. “Te Whatu Ora pointed to a lack of expert evidence to support the conclusion that [the code] had been breached and referenced known error rates,” McDowell wrote. In a statement, Te Whatu Ora Group director of operations for Auckland Mike Shepard apologised to the woman. For ethical and privacy reasons we can’t comment on the details of individual patient care.
