A large number of people, including family members and relatives of a pregnant woman of Ammapettai, laid siege to the Primary Health Centre at Inamkulathur for several hours on Thursday following the death of the woman after delivering a stillborn baby.
According to sources, Vennila (24) wife of Selvam of Ammapettai was admitted to the upgraded PHC on Thursday morning after she went into labour. Within a few hours after the admission, she was delivered of a stillborn male baby. Vennila also died soon after reportedly due to heavy loss of blood.
As information spread thick and fast, friends, relatives and villagers of Ammapettai thronged the PHC in large numbers. The protest that began at around 1 pm continued till evening. They did not allow the dead bodies to be moved out of PHC for post mortem. Some of the irate protestors pelted stones on the labour ward, where she was admitted. The window panes of the ward were smashed.
Alleging negligence on the part of the doctors and nurses, the protestors laid siege to the hospital for several hours. They alleged that the duty doctors and nurses failed to provide proper treatment to the victim. If the patient had complications, they should have referred her to the K.A.P. Viswanatham Medical College Government Hospital well in advance, they contended.
On information, senior officials of Health Department and revenue and police officials rushed to the hospital. Despite several rounds of negotiations, the agitators refused to allow the dead bodies to be transported for autopsy, demanding that the police file a case against the doctors and nurses concerned.
I.Raveendran, Deputy Director of Health, Tiruchi, told The Hindu that the woman died due to post partum haemorrhage. There was a sudden loss of excessive blood after the delivery. Though the doctors had tried to stabilise her, she did not respond to the treatment. The allegation of negligence of doctors and nurses could be ascertained only after an enquiry.
As demanded by the protestors, post mortem would be conducted to ascertain the exact cause of death, he said.
