Hapur: A 35-year-old man identified as Sachin underwent emergency surgery after doctors at a Hapur hospital discovered dozens of metal spoons, toothbrushes and pens packed inside his stomach. The case, described by surgeons as one of the rarest they have seen, has triggered new questions about conditions in de-addiction centres.
Sachin had been admitted to a local rehabilitation facility by his family for substance-abuse treatment. According to doctors, food restrictions and strict rules on outside supplies left him frustrated; in response he began swallowing broken steel spoons, discarded toothbrushes and ball-point pens, using water to force the items down.
Severe abdominal pain eventually sent him to hospital, where scans revealed 29 steel spoons, 19 toothbrushes and two pens lodged in his stomach. An endoscopy failed because of the number and size of the objects, leaving surgeons no choice but to operate. The team successfully removed every item, and Sachin is now recuperating.
Medical staff say the episode highlights the psychological stress some patients face during rehabilitation stress that can trigger compulsive ingestion of non-food objects, a behaviour linked to serious mental-health disorders. Mental-health experts add that trauma, confinement and frustration can intensify such tendencies.
Hospital authorities have asked district officials to investigate practices at the rehab centre and have called for reforms to ensure stronger mental-health support and more humane living conditions. They warn that neglect in these facilities can drive vulnerable patients toward life-threatening acts.
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