Pregnant woman dies on way to higher medical facility in Uttarakhand's New Tehri

New Tehri, Nov 18 (PTI) An eight-month pregnant woman died on her way to a higher medical facility after being transferred from the Beleshwar Community Health Centre (CHC) here, officials said.

The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Tehri has formed a team to investigate the incident. This is the third such incident in two months.

The deceased, Neetu Panwar (24) from Srikot village, was brought to Beleshwar CHC in the morning after her health deteriorated. She was transferred to a higher health centre but died en route in Phakot, around two and a half hours later, before reaching the destination, officials said.

Dr Shiv Prasad Bhatt, the medical in-charge of Beleshwar CHC, said that the woman's family brought her to the facility in the morning.

He explained that due to a lack of regular check-ups, her body had become severely swollen and her blood pressure had risen, which led to her referral to a higher medical facility.

Tehri CMO Dr Shyam Vijay said that due to the woman's condition, she was sent to a higher facility, but tragically, she passed away on the way.

Police reports indicated that Neetu's husband works in a hotel in Bahrain. She had been living with him there until June and had returned to her village for the birth of her child.

The woman's father-in-law, Soban Singh, said the doctor at Beleshwar CHC had administered an injection and advised them to take her to another hospital en route. He noted that Neetu's health had begun deteriorating that morning, with her arms and legs becoming crooked.

Her condition worsened while being taken to the higher medical centre in his vehicle. Doctors at the local hospital later declared her dead.

Given the seriousness of the case, Dr Vijay has constituted a three-member investigation team, led by ACMO Dr Jitendra Bhandari, which will submit its report within a week.

Dr Vijay stated that the investigation will thoroughly examine the woman's prenatal medical records, health status, test details, and the treatment she received at Beleshwar CHC.

This is the third such incident in the region. In September, a woman named Anisha Rawat, who had deteriorated post-delivery, was sent to a higher health facility and died at Mahant Indresh Hospital in Dehradun. In October, another woman, Raveena Kathayat, also deteriorated after giving birth and died at Srinagar Base Hospital in Pauri after being referred from the Pilkhi Primary Health Centre. PTI DPT HIG HIG