Death of pregnant woman, twins: Govt Doctor and 3 nurses suspended in Karnataka

Tumakuru: Following the death of a pregnant woman and her twin newborns in Tumakuru District after she was allegedly refused admission for not producing her health card, Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar has ordered a probe and suspension of three nurses and on-duty doctor, for dereliction of duty.

Condemning the action, Health Minister Sudhakar announced that the district administration would arrange free education and accommodation for up to 18 years for the six-year-old girl who lost her mother.

The Karnataka Government set up a three-member committee to probe the incident.

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The woman, identified as Kasturi, was a resident of Bharatinagar in Tumakuru. She used to live with her six-year-old orphaned daughter.

She was sent by the local residents along with an old woman, who was her neighbour to the district hospital after she developed labour pain on Wednesday night.

But it has been alleged that the mother was sent back from the hospital on the grounds that she did not have the "mother health card".

It is being said that the children and the mother died because the doctor neglected to treat them despite asking for help.

Apart from this, it has also been alleged that they told the woman to get treatment at the Victoria Hospital in Bangalore instead of treating her. However, she returned homes as had no money.

On Thursday morning, while delivering the babies due to severe blood loss the woman died along with the newborns.

The deceased woman is said to have given birth to twin boys as per a local source.

Kasturi hails from Tamil Nadu and has been living in Bhartinagar for the past one month.

Locals have alleged that the Tumkur District Hospital doctor is responsible for the death of the pregnant woman and her two children.

District Health Officer (DHO) Manjunath visited the incident site.

The locals took the matter to the DHO and demanded the suspension of guilty doctors.

"The concerned doctors and staff in the district hospital have been suspended," said Manjunath.

Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar also visited the district hospital on Thursday.

"Between 9 am and 10 am, a very pregnant woman came to the hospital. The woman was brought by two locals. She has come to get treatment for labour pain. We saw the CCTV camera video where the nurses took her inside when she came. On arrival, the mother was asked for a government mother card and an Aadhaar card. She didn't have any of that. Neighbours brought her under compulsion," said Health Minister.

Sudhakar said that a doctor and three nurses have been suspended for their negligence.

"Apparently, it seems that the three nurses working in the maternity ward have committed negligence of duty. There was also a duty doctor in the hospital. Whatever she could have said, she could have come and given treatment. This is a dereliction of duty. They behaved inhumanly. I am shocked by this incident. So four people have been suspended. One doctor and three nurses have been suspended. The unlucky girl is an orphan now. If her family members do not support her. The district administration will arrange for free education and accommodation for up to 18 years. Personally, I would like to do FD in her account," Sudhakar added.

"The health minister who is responsible for the death of two newborns due to the negligence of doctors in Tumkur district should immediately resign, the accused doctor should be dismissed from service and a judicial inquiry should be conducted into the whole incident," he said.

"This is a dereliction of duty. They behaved inhumanly. I am shocked by this incident...The unlucky girl is an orphan now. If her family members do not support her the district administration will arrange for free education and accommodation for up to 18 years," Health Minister K Sudhakar said mentioning that a total of four persons, including three nurses have been suspended for not treating the woman immediately with intensive care.

"A full investigation has been ordered into the incident that took place at Tumkur District Hospital on Wednesday and a report has been ordered, and the doctors and nurses who were working in the maternity ward on that day have been suspended," MLA Sudhakar said while retweeting the Health Department's official notice.

"If found guilty in the investigation report, the suspended personnel will not only be dismissed from service but strict legal action will be taken against them. Strict orders have been given to all the health officials to take precautions so that this kind of incident does not occur again," his tweet added.

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