Contrary to the claims being made by the government to encourage deliveries in government hospitals, a pregnant woman was forced to visit four government hospitals for medical assistance, but in vain: she died along with the new-born.
The infant and the mother died reportedly due to negligence of doctors in providing medical assistance at the government headquarters hospital here on Wednesday night.
Sources said the pregnant woman, Battu Padma of Bommanapalli village in Mancherial district, developed labour pains on Tuesday.
The family shifted her to the nearest primary health centre (PHC) in Vemanapalli mandal. The doctor there said the child was healthy and advised them to shift the woman to the Chennur hospital for normal delivery and she accompanied them in the ambulance for some distance before getting down from the vehicle.
At the Chennur hospital, the doctors said the condition of the infant was serious and instructed the woman’s family to visit the Mancherial hospital.
At Mancherial, the doctors performed surgery. When the surgery reportedly failed, the doctors stated that the condition of the mother and the infant was serious and told the family to shift them to the Government headquarters hospital in Karimnagar town on Tuesday night.
At the Karimnagar hospital, as it was night, the doctors could not immediately attend the patient, who was bleeding profusely.
On Wednesday morning, the doctors performed surgery on Padma and took out a dead infant with injuries on head and hand reportedly caused by doctors of the Mancherial hospital. As the condition of the mother deteriorated, she was shifted to the ICU. She died while undergoing treatment late on Wednesday night.
When the family members protested, the doctors at the Karimnagar hospital said the patient had been brought with dead infant in the womb.
NHRC petitioned
Expressing concern over the alleged negligence of doctors, Lok Satta district unit president N. Srinivas wrote to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) seeking action against the doctors of the Mancherial and Karimnagar hospitals. He also sought an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the bereaved family.
On Thursday, Congress and BJP activists staged a dharna in front of the hospital demanding action against the doctors.
