Reports of post-caesarean maternal deaths in Rajasthan continued to emerge on Saturday, with two women dying at a hospital in Banswara within two hours of each other on Friday.
With these deaths, the number of post-caesarean maternal deaths reported in Banswara and Bhilwara over the past week has risen to seven.
According to reports, Laxmi (21) of Savania village and Leela (32) of Kanela village gave birth to their children through caesarean delivery at Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Banswara. However, both women died within 24 hours of the surgery.
Doctors at the hospital said Laxmi was suffering from severe anaemia, with her haemoglobin level as low as 7 g/dl. Accordingly, she was administered one unit of blood before undergoing the caesarean section in accordance with medical protocol. Despite this, her condition deteriorated suddenly, and she died.
Similarly, doctors said Leela was suffering from severe hypertension and that a sudden spike in her blood pressure led to her death. While Laxmi’s newborn daughter is healthy and has been handed over to the family, Leela’s newborn son was stated to be in critical condition in the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU).
However, the doctors’ explanation failed to convince the families of the deceased, their attendants and other patients at the hospital, many of whom suspected negligence or other factors behind the deaths.
Similar maternal deaths reported from different districts of the state, including Kota, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Bhilwara, have deepened concerns.
The administration has also taken cognisance of the situation. Banswara District Collector Dr Indrajit Yadav visited the hospital to take stock of the situation.
The district administration constituted a five-member committee of doctors to investigate the circumstances and causes of the two deaths. The state’s Medical and Health Secretary, Gayatri Rathore, also deputed a two-member team of experts from Jaipur to Banswara.
Adding to the concern is the fact that five similar deaths have reportedly occurred in the District Hospital of Bhilwara so far this month.
Preliminary inquiries into these deaths have reportedly indicated the possibility of an infection in the operation theatre (OT).
Rajasthan Agriculture Minister Dr Kirodi Lal Meena, himself a medical graduate, described the situation as unfortunate and said the state government was taking all necessary steps. Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also expressed concern over the continuing maternal deaths. Referring to the preliminary findings indicating a possible infection in the operation theatre at Bhilwara and the reported shortage of adequate surgical sets, Gehlot alleged that these pointed to serious lapses and medical negligence.