Death During Normal Delivery: TN Medical Council suspends Gynaecologist for 6 months

The disciplinary committee found the doctor tried to needlessly wait for a vaginal delivery that lead to complications and death of the patient

Chennai: A gynaecologist was recently debarred from the medical practice for period of six months after the Tamil Nadu Medical Council held her guilty for medical negligence and misconduct. The decision was reached  in a general body meeting held a few days ago based on the inquiry done by the disciplinary committee of Tamil Nadu Medical Council (TNMC)

The decision came on the basis of a complaint that was filed against a Salem-based gynaecologist Dr Arivukkarasu, by one R Obuli Thilip, husband of the deceased women named Bhuvaneshwari.

According to the complainant, Bhuwaneshwari was admitted to the hospital on November 5, 2016 for the delivery of her second child. The patient was counselled to go for the vaginal delivery despite she had c-section for her first child. The doctors induced that patient with medication on November 7. The next day, the gynaecologist opted for artificial rupture of the membranes to push her to delivery, but the patient started developing breathlessness. She was provided with Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) but the patient had convulsions and collapsed. The infant survived but unfortunately, the mother could not be saved.

Thereafter, the deceased's husband filed a complaint against the doctor alleging negligence, THe complaint was forwarded to the council by the Directorate of medical and rural health services. The Medical Council of India(MCI) also forwarded the copy of the complaint to the State Council.

"In the initial audit meet, Dr Rani told experts that she did a C-sec after this and the patient died on the table. But after the anaesthetist whom she named denied being part of the surgical team, she said the baby was removed in a deeply-asphyxiated condition in a surgery after the mother's death. We don't know if she had given the anaesthesia on her own as no postmortem was done. The disciplinary committee concluded it as misconduct to make false statements in audits," Dr. K. Senthil, president of TN Medical Council  informed TOI

Dr Senthil further informed that when the doctor was probed regarding the case, she stated in front of the committee that she was unaware of the previous c-section. However, the disciplinary committee considered this also a negligence on part of the doctor holding her guilty for needlessly trying to wait for vaginal delivery which lead to the complications and ultimately the death of the patient.

The doctor was then awarded a suspension of 6 months.