By: Somdutt Tripathi JAIPUR/BHILWARA/BANSWARA: A fresh series of maternal deaths in government hospitals has gripped Rajasthan, with nine women losing their lives in Bhilwara and Banswara over just six days between July 5 and July 10. Medical teams from Jaipur were dispatched Saturday to probe the causes of deaths in the two districts.The nine deaths are the latest in a string of similar incidents reported earlier from Kota, Bikaner and Jodhpur since May this year, bringing the total number of maternal deaths in government-run hospitals across five districts to 18.In Bhilwara, five new deaths were reported from the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital between July 5 and July 10. They include three women who had undergone caesarean deliveries, a pregnant woman and a fifth woman with a gynecological condition who had undergone a planned surgery.
Latest fatalities
Bhilwara chief medical and health officer (CMHO) Arun Gaud attributed the deaths to multiple factors, including low haemoglobin levels and pre-existing medical conditions. A six-member committee of senior doctors was set up Saturday to examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths.“A micro-level discussion was held on the reasons for the deaths… and the conclusion was that, prima facie, two deaths were due to cardiac arrest and the third due to lung problems. The fourth pregnant woman did not undergo any operation,” said Pooja Gangrade, principal of Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Medical College, which oversees Bhilwara’s Mahatma Gandhi Hospital.In a similar incident, three women and a minor girl passed away at the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in Banswara between July 7 and July 10. Here, the district administration established a five-member enquiry committee after two women died on July 10 shortly after giving birth at the hospital. They reportedly suffered from severe anaemia and high blood pressure.“So far, no issue, such as a reaction to medicines, has come to light,” District Collector Indrajit Yadav, who heads the enquiry committee, told TOI.Among the deceased in Banswara was an unmarried minor, whose condition worsened during an abortion in a rural area, before she was brought to the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in critical condition. She succumbed to her ailments on July 7.“Initial investigations revealed that the deaths were related to previous medical complications… Prima facie, the cause of death appears to be a sudden drop in vitals,” Banswara CMHO Khushpal Singh Rathore said.The circumstances surrounding the latest and earlier maternal deaths have raised concerns about the overall functioning and reliability of government medical infrastructure, particularly the Integrated Child Development Services.Grieving families questioned why adequate care and monitoring were not provided to patients suffering from severe blood shortages, and why regular nutritional check-ups were neglected.Families of the deceased expressed frustration over what they called the lack of care and accountability from medical professionals.“The doctors failed my wife at the most critical time,” said Manish Pandey, husband of Isha Pandey, one of the new mothers who died in Bhilwara. He demanded greater scrutiny and accountability for what he described as medical negligence.Last month, the World Health Organisation sought a detailed report from the Centre on maternal deaths and incidents of drugs failing quality tests in Rajasthan.
