Doctor, 5 staff members placed on APO after deaths of 2 women post delivery

Kota: Following allegations of medical negligence, a doctor and five medical staff at a Community Health Centre (CHC) in the Jhalawar district have been placed under Awaiting Posting Order (APO) after two women died hours after giving birth.  

In response, the relatives of the deceased women reportedly vandalized the hospital, breaking the glass panes of the delivery room. They also blocked a road in front of the mini-secretariat on Sunday in protest.

According to the PTI report, the Jhalawar district collector constituted a five-member committee to probe the matter, including allegations of negligence, while a doctor and five other medical staff were taken off active duty pending the inquiry.

As per a media report in India TV, Reshma, a resident of Garoth in Madhya Pradesh, died at 3 pm after giving birth to a baby girl at around 1.30 pm on Saturday. Her relatives alleged that when her condition deteriorated, the doctors did not treat her. They demanded money for the treatment.

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Kavita Meghwal, a 20-year-old resident of Ramganjmandi area in Kota, also died around the same time after giving birth to a boy baby at about 1.40 pm in the same hospital. Kavita’s condition deteriorated after she went into shock on seeing the death of a patient in her ward, her relatives claimed.

Preliminary reports indicate Reshma died of excessive bleeding, while Kavita suffered a cardiac arrest. However, the actual reasons for their death will be clear only after receipt of post-mortem reports, according to Jhalawar's chief medical and health officer, Sazid Khan.

The angry relatives of the two women allegedly went on a rampage, vandalising the hospital. They damaged glass panels of the labour room and manhandled the medical staff on Saturday afternoon, it is alleged.

Police and senior medical officers reached the health centre and tried to pacify them. However, the relatives blocked National Highway- 52 in front of the mini secretariat in Jhalawar on Sunday, demanding compensation.

On a complaint from Reshma’s husband, the police lodged a case under Section 194 of BNSS (for an investigation into unnatural death), a police official at Bhawanimandi police station said, adding they have not yet received a report on the death of the other woman.

Khan said that on the direction of the district collector, a five-member committee has been formed to probe the incident, including allegations of negligence by medical staff.

“Doctor Pooja Meena and five other members of the medical staff have been placed under Awaiting Posting Order (APO) in the matter and further action will be decided on the basis of the report by the probe committee,” he said, reports PTI.

On the condition of the newborns, he said one of them is stated to be in healthy condition while the other has some minor complications and is under medical observation at the Jhalawar district hospital.

Also Read:Twin Babies Die During Delivery, Family Alleges Negligence