Probe ordered after woman allegedly carried dead foetus for 22 hours at Beed Hospital
Medical Negligence
Mumbai: In a shocking case of alleged medical negligence, a pregnant woman from Maharashtra’s Beed district reportedly carried a dead foetus in her womb for nearly 22 hours before undergoing surgery, raising concerns over maternal healthcare services.
According to the family, the incident took place on April 23 after the woman visited a hospital complaining of pain and discomfort. In a complaint submitted to the Beed district collector, Parli police station, Sub-district hospital, and district health officer, the family accused doctors of “inexcusable negligence and carelessness,” alleging that both the unborn child and the mother’s life were put at risk.
“All was normal on April 22 during my sister-in-law’s check-up. On April 23, she called the doctor and told her about the pain. The doctor asked her to come immediately. She was given saline on arrival, and the doctor visited two hours later. During the visit, she was asked to get the sonography from the nearby diagnostic centre despite having an in-house sonography facility. After the test, she declared the baby is dead. She was admitted for removing the fetus, but it took them 22 hours for a cesarean,” said the brother-in-law of the woman, reports The Hindu.
He further said that the family delayed filing a complaint as the woman was coping with the emotional trauma of losing her child.
The woman’s husband alleged that the family paid Rs 25,000 before the surgery was conducted. He claimed his wife suffered severe pain throughout the night, but the doctor did not visit the hospital. He urged police to investigate the matter thoroughly, including verification of phone records and CCTV footage.
The family also alleged that despite approaching the local police station, no formal case has yet been registered.
Speaking to the Hindu, District Health Officer Satish Salunke said he has received the complaint about the hospital’s practices. “We have received the complaint, and these are serious regulations,” he said, adding that a four-member committee has been formed to investigate the matter. “We have been instructed to present the result as soon as possible,” Mr. Salunke said.
Meanwhile, the gynaecologist involved in the case dismissed the allegations, stating that the medical team followed protocol and initially attempted a normal delivery. The doctor claimed that when that was not possible, a C-section was recommended, but the relatives were unwilling to give consent for the procedure. “They gave consent when one of their relative, who was a doctor, checked and realised it needed a C-section,” she added.
She also denied the allegations of negligence, claiming that the patient arrived at the hospital at 3 p.m. after experiencing vomiting since 10 a.m. The doctor stated that she first stabilised the patient’s blood pressure, administered IV fluids, and then checked the baby’s heartbeat. When no heartbeat was detected, a sonography was conducted by a radiologist to confirm the condition.
Also Read:7 pregnant women die within a week at VIMSAR Burla, probe ordered
