Pregnant woman dies at Gurugram Hospital; gauze, gown fabric found in abdomen during autopsy
Medical Negligence
Gurugram: A shocking case of alleged medical negligence has come to light in Gurugram after a 28-year-old pregnant woman, who died while undergoing treatment at a private hospital, was reportedly found to have medical gauze and a piece of surgical gown fabric inside her abdomen during a post-mortem examination.
According to the HT report, the foreign objects were recovered during an autopsy conducted on Monday evening by a three-member medical board comprising Deepak Mathur, Tony Jowel and Sarita Chaudhary. The doctors found the upper portion of a blue medical gown and a strip of surgical gauze inside the woman's abdomen. The post-mortem examination was ordered following allegations of medical negligence by the deceased woman's family.
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The recovered materials are suspected to have been used in an attempt to control excessive bleeding during the final stages of treatment. Both objects have been preserved as evidence and will be handed over to the police for further investigation.
Dr Deepak Mathur said preliminary findings indicated that the woman died due to excessive blood loss. He added that timely medical intervention to control the bleeding could potentially have saved her life. The complete findings, along with the post-mortem report, will be submitted to the district medical negligence board, headed by the Chief Medical Officer, for further scrutiny.
The deceased was employed as a customer relationship manager at a private company and was five months pregnant. According to police, she complained of abdominal pain on Friday and was taken to a hospital by her family in the early hours of Saturday. Doctors reportedly removed the dead foetus, but her bleeding continued. She was subsequently taken for an emergency operation on Sunday morning.
Her husband alleged that the hospital failed to provide proper treatment and referred her to another medical facility after attempting a blood transfusion in the operation theatre.
Speaking to TOI, the husband said, "Doctors attempted a blood transfusion in the operation theatre, and after some time, they referred my wife to a higher centre. We took her to a private hospital, where doctors told us that my wife was already dead. It was totally medical negligence, and I have filed a police complaint."
An official said preliminary findings indicated that excessive bleeding could have caused her death. However, the recovery of medical gauze and surgical gown fabric from her abdomen during the autopsy has raised serious concerns over the treatment she received.
The official added that all evidence had been preserved and would be handed over to the police for further investigation. The findings, along with the post-mortem report, would also be submitted to the district medical negligence board.
Meanwhile, Gurugram Civil Surgeon Virender Baswana said the authorities were yet to receive the autopsy findings officially. "The findings of the autopsy report of the woman have not been received officially yet. No complaint has been filed by the victim's family. We will examine all technical aspects by discussing the findings of the autopsy report, and action will be taken as per the law," he said, reports TOI.
Parveen Malik, assistant commissioner of police (Old Gurugram), said an FIR will be registered once the five-member medical negligence board submits its report affirming negligence. “Even after recovery of the torn gown and gauze from the woman’s abdomen in autopsy, all legal steps need to be followed as per law in such cases,” he said, reports Hindustan Times.
The incident has raised serious concerns over patient safety and accountability in private healthcare facilities.
