Pregnant woman dies in J’khand hospital, family alleges negligence

Hazaribag (Jharkhand), Nov 2 (PTI) A 40-year-old pregnant woman died allegedly in a private hospital, sometime after she slipped and fell in a Jharkhand government facility ahead of a cesarean section, an official said on Sunday.

The family members of the woman brought the body back to the Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College and Hospital (SBMCH) in Hazaribag and demanded compensation, allegedly at the instigation of an auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) who is known to them.

Hazaribag district Civil Surgeon Dr Ashok Kumar told PTI that doctors and ANMs were preparing for a Lower Segment Cesarean Section on Babli Devi on Saturday morning in the gynecology ward.

While the victim was getting down from the bed in the labour room, she slipped and fell as soon as she placed her foot on a footboard kept below.

“Though she was fine at that time, an ANM known to the family members told them that she should be taken to a private nursing home. Though we had urged them repeatedly not to go anywhere at this stage, they left the hospital and went somewhere else, where she died,” Kumar said.

The civil surgeon said that when they were returning home from the nursing home with the body, the ANM again convinced them to come back to the hospital so that they could get compensation for their loss by alleging negligence during the initial treatment.

Around 10:30 pm, they brought the deceased back to the hospital and started demonstrating, demanding compensation, Kumar said.

“We sought their cooperation in conducting a post-mortem examination of the deceased so that the exact reason for her death could be determined and a death certificate could be handed over to the family,” he said.

They, however, left the hospital without informing the authorities between 4 and 4.30 am on Sunday, the official said, adding that an inquiry would be conducted into the matter.

Superintendent of SBMCH, Dr AK Purti, rejected the allegations of the family, saying they had taken the patient to a place outside the hospital where she died.

He said a committee consisting of senior doctors would be formed on Monday to conduct the inquiry. PTI CORR RPS NN