Kota maternal deaths: 3 doctors reinstated after four committees give clean chits

Kota: Five months after being suspended in connection with the deaths of pregnant women and reported cases of kidney failure, three doctors have been reinstated after four investigation committees found no evidence holding them responsible.

The doctors were suspended in May following the deaths of five pregnant women within 13 days at New Medical College Hospital and JK Lon Hospital, while seven pregnant women reportedly developed kidney failure. The deaths triggered public outrage and political pressure, prompting the State Government to initiate multiple investigations and suspend the doctors along with three nursing staff.

The matter was subsequently examined by four expert committees, including a committee constituted at the medical college level, an expert team from Medical College Jaipur, a team from AIIMS New Delhi and a State-level committee headed by the Additional Director of the National Health Mission.

The investigations did not hold the three doctors responsible for the adverse outcomes. Based on the findings, the State Government has withdrawn their suspension and reinstated them at Kota Medical College.

Speaking to TOI, Govt Medical College and Associated Group of Hospitals, Kota, principal and controller Nilesh Kumar, said, “All three doctors have resumed their duties after they were cleared of any negligence in the deaths”.

The probe reports attributed the deaths to different medical complications rather than establishing a common cause linked to the treatment provided. The findings included cardiac arrest, severe bleeding during delivery followed by infection and multi-organ failure, pulmonary blood clot leading to a critical fall in oxygen levels, severe reaction associated with kidney failure and acute kidney injury accompanied by a sharp decline in platelet count.

However, the investigation into the episode is not entirely closed. Laboratory reports concerning certain surgical materials and medical devices are still awaited by the government.

The reinstatement comes after months of scrutiny following the cluster of maternal deaths and kidney-related complications. With the four committees finding no individual culpability, the three doctors have now returned to service at the same medical college.