‘Retired nurse’ was a quack: Health officials

‘She would assist in home births’

The ‘retired nurse’ who performed an ‘illegal’ abortion on a 25-year-old woman from Tumakuru district, who subsequently died due to complications, was a quack with no nursing training or experience, say Health officials. The accused, Manjula, would assist in childbirths in people’s homes but was not a professional midwife, they claim.

Radhamani, a mother of three girls, was four-and-a-half months pregnant and approached her relative, Manjula, who claimed to be a retired nurse to conduct an abortion.

A team comprising District Family welfare officer Dr. Prashanth and other officials visited Kamarajanahalli village in Koratagere taluk of Tumakuru district to meet Radhamani’s family.

District RCH officer, Keshavaraj, told

The Hindu: “Radhamani was kept for two nights on March 22 and March 23 in Manjula’s house. Radhamani’s husband told us that Manjula administered injections to Radhamani to induce abortion.”

On March 24, due to severe bleeding, Radhamani was taken to a private hospital in Koratagere and they referred her to Vani Vilas hospital in Bengaluru as her condition was very serious. She died last Friday.

However, before approaching Manjula, Radhamani and her husband had consulted a private ultrasound centre in Tumakuru on March 20.

It was only after that visit that she decided to undergo an abortion. Dr. Prashanth said that further investigation has to be done to find out if the sex of the child was revealed to the parents at the scanning centre.

Manjula has been absconding since March 24.

The report will be submitted to District Health Officer on Tuesday.