The State government is yet to officially speak about the cause of maternal deaths that took place in public hospitals of the city subsequent to those at Niloufer Hospital.
In the immediate aftermath of the Niloufer deaths that occurred between January 28 and February 4, at least two of the five deaths were attributed to co-morbid conditions the mothers had. The women had undergone C-section following which they succumbed. Officials had cited high blood pressure, obesity and low haemoglobin levels among other factors as conditions the mothers had, which worsened their health after surgeries. However, an enquiry committee submitted a report to the State Human Rights Commission that faulty drugs and IV fluids are to be suspected. The inquiry committee gave a clean chit to the doctors and the hospital’s facilities.
Months after the deaths at Niloufer, maternal deaths made headlines again when five more women died following C-section surgeries. Questions were yet again raised about the health of the women. In the case of Ratnamala, who had succumbed at Government Maternity Hospital in Petlaburj in April, the family had alleged negligence and lodged a police complaint.
Subsequently, an autopsy pointed to excessive bleeding from the uterus as the cause of death. In contrast, the hospital administration, in its initial report, informed the government that it was a case of embolism. Ratnamala’s husband claimed that she had given birth to two children through C-section before succumbing while giving birth for the third time. Though a committee was constituted to enquire into the deaths that occurred at Sultan Bazaar Maternity Hospital, the findings have not been made public. In fact, the government also informed the SHRC last week that a detailed report of the Niloufer deaths is yet to be issued by the Hyderabad Collector.
