Pregnant woman dies after C-section without Gynaecologist, Hospital License cancelled
Medical Negligence
Bhopal: A case of medical negligence emerged from Berasia, Bhopal where a 33-year-old woman, who recently underwent a cesarean section without a gynaecologist's supervision, succumbed to post-delivery complications while being transferred to another facility. In response to the incident, the license of Bhopal Hospital Multispecialty Trauma Center in Berasia has been revoked after it failed to provide a satisfactory explanation.
The action was taken after the Public Health and Medical Education Department performed an investigation into the woman's tragic death which revealed negligence on the part of the hospital staff who had neglected medical protocols in treating the patient, leading to her untimely death.
It was revealed in the investigation that the woman, despite being identified as a high-risk patient due to her medical condition, was left unattended for 10 hours after being admitted to the hospital. No gynaecologist attended to her during those hours she spent at the hospital.
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Apart from these, the hospital which lacks a blood bank, performed a cesarean section instead of referring her to a better facility. However, when her condition began deteriorating following the delivery, the medical staff allegedly referred the woman to another hospital in Bhopal.
The incident took place in October 2024 when the woman, a resident of Mengipura, Bairasia, delivered her baby at the hospital. However, she began having severe bleeding shortly after the delivery. Following this, she was referred to another hospital but died on the way in the ambulance.
After receiving information about her death, the Public Health and Medical Education Department directed the district and block-level officials to investigate the matter on the same day. The findings revealed that the woman was identified as a high-risk pregnant woman by the Health Department due to her previous abortion and cesarean delivery, as reported by Amarujala.
While examining the hospital records, the investigation team discovered that the woman remained admitted for approximately 10 hours and 30 minutes without being examined by a gynaecologist and a cesarean section was performed without a doctor despite knowing her health risk and the unavailability of a blood bank in the facility.
Meanwhile, the hospital management’s negligence was also evident during the referral process. The woman was transferred to Bhopal with only a driver, without the presence of a trained doctor or paramedical staff.
Because of the shocking incident, the department sent a notice to the hospital under the provisions of Clause 6 (1) of Chapter 2 of the MP Nursing Home and Neurotherapy Establishments (Registration and Licensing) Act 1973 and Rules 1997 (as amended 2021) seeking detailed response regarding the matter. However, the hospital failed to respond satisfactorily, resulting in the cancellation of the registration and license.
Chief Medical and Health Officer Bhopal Dr Prabhakar Tiwari told Free Press Journal, ‘The woman identified as high-risk by the department was not treated under the medical protocol prescribed by the hospital. In view of the hospital’s negligence, the licence has been cancelled. No medical activity of any kind will be conducted in the hospital.’
