Assam Gynaecologist performs C section on 6 month pregnant woman, stitches back after finding foetus premature

Guwahati: A senior gynecologist at a government hospital in Assam's Karimganj district reportedly performed an early Caesarean section (C-section) operation on a six-month pregnant woman, who is currently battling for her life after the doctor stitched back the cut upon realizing the baby was premature. 

The doctor apparently realized that the foetus was premature after making the incision, following which he stitched back the cut and suggested the woman wait till December for another attempt. 

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The senior physician Dr. AK Biswas at Karimganj Civil Hospital performed the C-section on August 22 and he suggested the patient wait at the hospital for ten days. The doctor discharged the woman on August 31, but her health conditions began deteriorating immediately following discharge.

The woman's husband, Ram Namasudra, alleged that the doctor attempted to do the C-section almost three and half months earlier despite her test reports and case study indicating the expected delivery date to be December 9 this year. He told the Hindustan Times, "Around 15 days back, she started suffering from severe pain, and we took her to Karimganj Civil Hospital. After initial treatment, the doctor said he'll attempt surgery. After the surgery, he said the foetus was not mature, so he stitched the cut and asked us to stay at the hospital for a few more days."

However, the doctor claimed that the patient's family members had come to his house and requested him to perform the C-section. He said, "I knew that the expected date was in December, but we do premature surgeries in complicated cases. The pain was severe, and her family members asked me to proceed with the surgery. During the operation, I realized that the foetus was not mature, so I stitched it back."

Dr. Lipi Deb Sinha, the superintendent of the hospital, stated that "We'll interrogate everyone who was involved in this matter. The mother and her family members will be questioned too. If they have a complaint, it has to come in writing. We'll take appropriate actions if the allegations are found true. We are also concerned about the mother and her child's health." 

The hospital authorities said that an 11-member committee had been formed to look into the matter, and the preliminary report was submitted on Friday.

"We have forwarded the preliminary report to the Health Department in Guwahati. We are awaiting submission of the full report," they said.

On Wednesday evening, local people gathered at the hospital and began protesting, but the doctor had locked himself in a room. Biswas then appeared before the protesting people nearly after an hour and admitted to stitching the cut back because the foetus was premature. Further, the Karimganj police were called to bring the situation under control. 

Speaking to G Plus, the officer-in-charge of Karimganj police station said, "We arrived at the hospital, and a settlement took place between both the parties- the doctor and the woman. No case has been registered." 

According to Ram's elder brother Sudip Namasudra, the woman's condition became worse, and the doctor stitched her up for a second time on Thursday evening after she started bleeding. Sudip further added that the doctor who did the C-section promised to bear the cost of the entire treatment. Sinha said, "The patient looks normal from the outside, but we are reviewing her condition again. A special team of doctors is looking after this, and I personally met the patient today. Apart from the cut, if she has any other complications, the team will find out and we'll take care of it too." 

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