Two women die after childbirth at CHC in Jhalawar; inquiry ordered as kin allege negligence

Kota: Two women died within a couple of hours after giving birth at a community health centre in the neighbouring Jhalawar district following which their family members and relatives vandalised the premises and blocked a road in front of the mini-secretariat there on Sunday.

The Jhalawar district collector constituted a five-member committee to probe the matter, including allegations of negligence, while a doctor and five other medical staff were taken off active duty pending the inquiry.

Reshma, a resident of Garot in Madhya Pradesh, died around 3 pm on Saturday after her condition deteriorated following the birth of her girl child at around 1.30 pm. Her relatives alleged that the medical staff did not attend to her when her condition worsened.

Kavita Meghwal, a 20-year-old resident of Ramganjmandi area in Kota, also died around the same time after giving birth to a boy baby at about 1.40 pm in the same hospital. Kavita's condition deteriorated after she went into shock on seeing the death of a patient in her ward, her relatives claimed.

Preliminary reports indicate Reshma died of excessive bleeding while Kavita suffered a cardiac arrest. However, the actual reasons for their death will be clear only after receipt of post-mortem reports, according to Jhalawar chief medical and health officer Sazid Khan.

The angry relatives of the two women allegedly went on a rampage, vandalising the hospital. They damaged glass panels of the labour room and manhandled the medical staff on Saturday afternoon, it is alleged.

Police and senior medical officers reached the health centre and tried to pacify them. However, the relatives blocked National Highway- 52 in front of the mini secretariat in Jhalawar on Sunday, demanding compensation.

On a complaint from Reshma's husband, the police lodged a case under Section 194 of BNSS (for an investigation into unnatural death), a police official at Bhawanimandi police station said, adding they have not yet received a report on the death of the other woman.

Khan said on the direction of the district collector, a five-member committee has been formed to probe the incident including allegations of negligence by medical staff.

"Doctor Pooja Meena and five other members of the medical staff have been placed under Awaiting Posting Order (APO) in the matter and further action will be decided on the basis of the report by the probe committee," he said.

On the condition of the newborns, he said one of them is stated to be in healthy condition while the other has some minor complications and is under medical observation at the Jhalawar district hospital.