Tamil Nadu: Nurses deliver stillborn with Doctor on video call, family alleges medical negligence

Villagers staged a protest outside the center, demanding action against the doctors and nurses for the alleged negligence. 

The shocking incident received heavy backlash and criticism after the doctor instructed the nurses via video call to perform the delivery. However, based on the instructions, the nurses took the baby out of the mother's womb, which turned out to be a stillborn baby.

This is the second child of 35-year-old Murali, an electrician from Andarkuppam, and his wife, Pushpa, as per the police. They regularly consulted doctors in the PHC, and they have a two-year-old son.

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Pushpa was supposed to deliver on Monday and went to the PHC with her husband in the morning in this regard. Meanwhile, the nurses asked her to return after developing labour pain. When she went again for the second time at 6 pm after her pain started, no doctor was on duty. Dr. R Balu, who was supposed to perform her delivery, was unavailable at the centre.

A few tests were conducted before her delivery which revealed that she had few complications and the baby was in a breech position. Hence, the nurses decided to go for normal delivery to avoid any further complications. Since the doctor was not present at the moment, he instructed the nurses via video call.

It was reported that the legs of the baby came out first, which made the nurses nervous. The nurses tried multiple times how to pull the baby's head first as per the doctor's instruction but failed each time. The situation was critical, and the condition of the mother was also deteriorating. The woman was then immediately rushed to the Madurantakam Government hospital in the ambulance. Pushpa delivered the stillborn baby on the way to the hospital.

Observing her heavy bleeding, she was admitted to Madurantakam Government hospital. She is stable now, but the baby is dead, TOI reports

The negligence from the nurse's side angered family members of Pushpa and they gathered around 50 villagers to protest outside the PHC. The medical negligence was reported to the police and a complaint was lodged. The investigation is underway.

An inquiry was held by the health department officials into the matter and the Directorate of Public Health transferred Dr. R Balu and a nurse from the PHC.

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