JOIN USOne arrested for maternal deaths
Facing mounting anger over the deaths of 13 women due to excessive bleeding during childbirth allegedly after being administered contaminated intravenous fluids, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot visited Umaid and MG hospitals and made a bid to calm the situation.
The state government increased the compensation from Rs one lakh to Rs five lakh each to the families of the victims, an official said while announcing the suspension of drug inspector Dinesh Taneja and MG Hospital storekeeper Kusum Acharya.
Jodhpur Police Commissioner Bhupendra Kumar Dak said Sanjay Shah, who is in the Production and Quality Control department of Indore-based Parental Surgical India Limited, was arrested with the help of the Madhya Pradesh police. “We have arrested Shah and the team is taking him to Jodhpur for interrogation,” he said.
An official said the government has also blacklisted the Indore firm and Anshul Pharma, distributor for glucose supply. The decision to increase the compensation was taken at a high-level meeting in Jaipur on Saturday presided by Gehlot who also directed the Jodhpur Divisional Commissioner to submit an inquiry report within 15 days. At least 13 women have died in a span of 14 days between February 13 and 26 and three others are battling for their lives after they were allegedly administered IV fluids in Umaid and MG hospitals.
A case has already registered against Parental Surgical India Private Limited, and the Jodhpur distributor, for supplying contaminated I V fluid. In addition to the administrative inquiry by the Divisional Commissioner of Jodhpur, a parallel probe has also been ordered to ascertain who is responsible for giving approval to the drug from an unlisted firm.