Gynaecologist booked as woman dies after childbirth

Patiala: In a recent case of alleged medical negligence, a gynaecologist running a private clinic in Bahadurgarh town has been booked after the death of a 24-year-old new mother within hours of childbirth due to alleged complications. The doctor's husband is also facing charges for his alleged role in assisting her with the clinic's operations.

It has been reported that the mother, after delivering her baby, experienced severe pain, following which her husband insisted on taking her to Rajindra Hospital, Patiala. However, the doctor who was attending the woman refused and asked him to arrange blood from the blood bank of a private hospital. By the time he returned, the woman had already died. 

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Taking note of the issue, the Patiala health department has initiated an inquiry into the matter and also promised a maternal death audit to determine the exact cause of the woman's death. 

Meanwhile, no arrests have been made in this regard so far after the police registered a case against the doctor and her husband under Section 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to death due to negligence.

Moreover, the deceased husband has demanded the cancellation of the doctor's licence. Whether the doctor is a quack or a qualified medical practitioner is also under investigation. 

Confirming the development, Station House Officer (SHO) Dharinder Verma told HT, “We have not made any arrests yet. The investigation is ongoing. We are probing whether the accused doctor was qualified to practice medicine."

Patiala civil surgeon Dr Jagpalinder Singh said, “We have already sought the medical records of the deceased mother from the private clinic. We are also investigating the matter. Besides, a maternal death audit will also be done.”

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