Gynaecologist suspended after newborn dies during c-section at Nedumangad Hospital

Thiruvananthapuram: A doctor from the gynaecology department of the district hospital in nearby Nedumangad has been suspended pending an inquiry following allegations of the death of a newborn after a C-section delivery.

The newborn’s death on Tuesday sparked massive protests at the hospital, with the family accusing the doctor of medical negligence and with various political outfits creating a ruckus at the hospital, demanding strict action against the doctor.

According to a recent PTI report, the disciplinary action was taken in view of allegations of medical negligence with regard to the death of a newborn on Tuesday and bribery charges circulated through visual media, according to a government order.

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She has been placed under suspension with immediate effect, subject to a detailed inquiry and disciplinary proceedings, it said.

Earlier in the day, state Health Minister Veena George ordered the transfer of the doctor from Nedumangad Hospital pending inquiry and to constitute an expert panel of doctors to carry out a thorough probe into the death of the child.

On the directions of the minister, a team of specialist doctors from the SAT Hospital was constituted to conduct the probe, an official statement said here.

The team comprises experts from the departments of paediatrics, gynaecology and anaesthesiology, it said, adding that they have been instructed to submit an urgent report to the government on Wednesday itself.

Since Tuesday evening, the Nedumangad hospital has been witnessing intense protests of various political parties and local people, following the death of the newborn after the baby was taken out through the C-Section procedure.

The family of the deceased newborn alleged that negligence on the part of the doctor was the reason for the child’s death. They further alleged that they had given bribes to the doctor ahead of the delivery.

Earlier in the day, the Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA) demanded strict legal action against those who allegedly attacked doctors and created unrest at the Nedumangad district hospital.

In a statement, the district unit of the KGMOA said the death of the newborn was “deeply painful and unfortunate”, but condemned what it termed as violence and “mob trial” targeting the hospital superintendent and the District Medical Officer, reports PTI.

Describing the incident as “unacceptable in a democratic society”, the association announced that February 18 would be observed as a protest day in the capital district.

The KGMOA said that healthcare workers were striving round the clock to provide quality treatment despite severe manpower shortages and limited infrastructure.

Therefore, portraying doctors as criminals over medical complications that may arise during treatment and publicly humiliating them was condemnable, it said.

It demanded that stringent legal action be taken under the Kerala Healthcare Service Persons and Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act against those who allegedly created a tense atmosphere in the hospital and attacked doctors.

The association also sought the constitution of an expert committee to conduct an immediate, transparent and impartial inquiry into the incident, asserting that any action against doctors based merely on allegations, without the committee’s report, would be unjustified.

It warned that if hasty decisions were taken under external pressure, the organisation would be compelled to launch strong protest programmes.

Police on Tuesday registered a case of unnatural death under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) into the newborn’s death at the state-run hospital.

The woman's family had alleged that they were informed a caesarean section would be performed if the baby was not delivered by noon, but claimed that the procedure was delayed.

“Had they performed the caesarean earlier, the baby would have survived,” relatives told reporters.

Activists of the Congress, BJP and the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) staged protests outside the hospital on Tuesday, demanding action against the concerned doctor, police had said.

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