There was commotion at the Kasturba Gandhi Government Hospital on Tuesday morning after a 28-year-old woman, who had been consulting at the hospital since she was declared pregnant in April, was told on Monday that she was not pregnant.
Haseena Ameer Ali of Kannagi Nagar has been married for seven years. Her sister, M. Nasrath, said that on April 11 this year, Haseena had tested positive for pregnancy at Kasturba Gandhi Government Hospital.
“Since then, she had been going to the hospital monthly for check-ups and medication. We were told that her due date was in November. On November 18, when she came in, she was told that she would require a C-section and that there was also a cyst,” said Ms.Nasrath.
On Sunday, when Haseena had stomach pain, she went to a private clinic in Vandavasi, where she was told that there was no baby, but there was a cyst.
“On Monday, when she came to Kasturba Gandhi Hospital with continued pain, she was told that there was no baby. We were also told that sometimes patients convince themselves they are pregnant and can even have some signs,” said Ms. Nasrath. This was to be the couple’s first baby, she said.
Haseena had earlier undergone surgery at the hospital for the removal of a cyst. Haseena, who was very upset, said it had been a huge shock.
Director in charge of the hospital S. Vijaya said Haseena, who had polycystic ovarian syndrome, had been coming to the hospital for infertility treatment. “In January, after a scan revealed a cyst in her left ovary, the patient underwent a laproscopic cystectomy. An ultrasound scan on March 28 was normal. On April 11, a urine pregnancy test was weakly positive. We believed she was pregnant and Haseena had been coming for check-ups, where her blood pressure and sugar levels were tested,” she said.
Haseena should have undergone an ultrasound scan in her fourth month, but somehow this was missed, Dr. Vijaya said. “She did not come in September and there is a chance that in August or October she possibly did not go into the scan room or did not wait for the scan,” she said.
“There should have been an early scan done for her. Something has been missed somewhere,” said another doctor. “We will definitely look into it and rectify the lacuna,” said Dr. Vijaya.
Ms. Haseena, however, said that she had undergone scans at the hospital, at least twice. Members of the family gathered at the hospital on Tuesday afternoon and were asking doctors for an explanation.
The hospital said it was now planning to admit Haseena, give her medication and monitor her further. The doctors mentioned pseudocyesis, a rare condition in which a woman believes she is pregnant and may even have symptoms, when she is not.
