7 pregnant women die within a week at VIMSAR Burla, probe ordered

On Wednesday, the State Health Department sought a detailed inquiry report from VIMSAR regarding the circumstances that led to the deaths within such a short span of time. However, an internal inquiry into the cases of continuous deaths had already been initiated on Tuesday.

Earlier, on Thursday, a joint review meeting was held in the presence of the CDMO of Sambalpur to discuss the causes of the deaths. In the meeting, VIMSAR Director Dr. Lalmohan Nayak added that a report would be submitted to the government within one or two days.

Prof. Lal Mohan Nayak, the Director-in-Charge of VIMSAR, termed these deaths unfortunate and stated that, on average, the hospital records six to seven maternal deaths every month. However, this time, these deaths occurred within a very short span of time, according to TNIE. 

“We will most likely submit the report by tomorrow”, he added. 

He also stated that the women who passed away already suffered from several pre-existing health conditions. He further claimed that preliminary investigations have revealed no negligence on the part of the medical officials. These deaths occurred between May 1 and May 6.

On May 1, a woman's condition deteriorated during treatment, leading to her death.

The deceased women hailed from the districts of Sambalpur, Bargarh, Sonepur, Kalahandi, and Boudh. 

While four of these women were between the ages of 25 and 30, one was 21. The remaining two were aged 31 and 38, respectively. Of these seven women, two gave birth via C-section, while the others had normal deliveries.

A woman named Lalita Kisan passed away due to various health-related complications. Furthermore, she had undergone surgery six months prior. Subsequently, upon completing six months of pregnancy, her uterus ruptured, leading to her death.

Another pregnant woman, Mamta Beh, died due to sickle cell anaemia and jaundice.

The third pregnant woman, Jayanti Meher, had a normal delivery; however, her amniotic fluid entered her chest and brain, leading to an infection that resulted in her death. Her newborn baby, however, is now healthy.

The fourth pregnant woman, Suprabha Mahakud, died due to high blood pressure during pregnancy and a low platelet count in her blood, which claimed her life. The fifth woman, Kadambini Sethi, also died due to high blood pressure.

The sixth woman, Alima Mahanand, was five months pregnant; she took contraceptive pills and remained at home. Subsequently, she developed sepsis and fell critically ill. She was initially admitted to the Sonepur District Hospital, after which she was transferred to the Bhima Bhoi Medical College in Balangir. As her condition deteriorated, she was taken to VIMSAR. After being admitted to VIMSAR on April 23, she was placed in the ICU, but she passed away on May 4, according to Etvbharat.

A seventh pregnant woman, Sarthi Dalpati, gave birth in Junagarh, Kalahandi district. There, she developed severe health complications due to anaemia. Consequently, she was first taken to Bhawanipatna and subsequently to VIMSAR. She was admitted to the ICU; however, despite all efforts, she passed away.

Moreover, VIMSAR officials also stated that this matter is being investigated through an internal review process.

“We are regularly reviewing the deaths. After the review process is completed, we will be able to ascertain the reasons. Reviews are conducted every month, and I also collect reports from the heads of each department every week, said VIMSAR Superintendent Sunil Sharma.

Although the causes of death varied in each case, an investigation is being conducted to determine whether there was any common link between them.