Jharkhand Govt Hospital declares fetus dead, healthy baby born hours later

Hazaribag: A disturbing case of alleged medical negligence has come to light from Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College and Hospital (SBMCH) in Hazaribag, where a pregnant woman was reportedly turned away after the nurses declared that her fetus had died. However, just hours later, she delivered a healthy baby boy at a private hospital.  

The pregnant woman, a resident of Chalkusa in Barkatha block, was in active labour when she and her husband arrived at SBMCH after a gruelling 120 km journey at around 1 a.m. on Wednesday. Instead of being admitted promptly, the couple was told by hospital nurses that their unborn child had already died in the womb, citing an outdated haemoglobin report showing 10 gm/dL. 

According to the news reports, the husband refused to accept the diagnosis, protesting that the report was already ten days old. He was then instructed to go upstairs to the operation theatre (OT) and speak with the head nurse.

Upon reaching the OT, he found the doors locked and, despite his repeated banging and calls for help, no one responded. Nurses later admitted that some of their colleagues, including the head nurse, were sleeping inside at the time.

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Speaking to TOI, the husband said, "I kept shouting and knocking on the door in vain. Manisha's labour intensified, leaving me with no other option but to rush her to the private Mission Hospital, located about 2 km away from SBMCH. When tests were conducted there, Manisha's haemoglobin was found to be 12 gm/dL. At 3 am, a C-section surgery was done and she gave birth to a healthy baby boy weighing 4 kg."

He mentioned that if his wife and son had not been taken to a private hospital, he would have lost them both. He demanded justice, hoping that no one else would have to endure such an ordeal.

DC Shashi Prakash Singh said, "I have spoken to the superintendent of SBMCH, Dr Anukaran Purti, and instructed him to immediately constitute an investigation team and provide a detailed investigation report. Action will be taken against the culprits. The hospital management should ensure that such incidents do not reoccur," reports TOI.

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The incident has triggered outrage and a political uproar. BJP leader Arjun Saw, who assisted the couple, claimed he received threats from SBMCH doctors for intervening in the matter. He further alleged that hospital staff were trying to divert attention from the incident by accusing him of harassment.

Hazaribag MP Manish Jaiswal said that proper treatment had not been ensured in government hospitals by the health minister. He stated that the matter would be taken up at a higher level and that he would meet the hospital superintendent on Friday.

Health Minister Irfan Ansari, in a post on X, said that the govt would launch a probe into the issue and take action against those responsible.BJP leader Arjun Saw said he received threats from SBMCH doctors for helping Binod, reports TOI.