‘Removed uterus left in box’: 4 women die after C-section surgery in Kota govt hosp; 6 critical

KOTA: The New Medical College Hospital (NMCH) Monday reported the death of yet another woman due to complications following a cesarean section, bringing the death toll from post C-section infections to four in just one week.

The latest victim, identified as Pinki Mahawar, 30, succumbed to her condition in the early hours of Monday after being transferred from JK Lon Hospital, a govt facility like NMCH.

Pinki's husband, Chandra Prakash, expressed his anguish, asserting that the referral to NMCH came only after his wife's condition significantly deteriorated.

"The doctors referred her around 8:30pm Sunday only when her condition went out of control. The medical staff shifted her to an ambulance from the back gate of JK Lon Hospital and sent her to NMCH. She succumbed during treatment at super speciality block after two hours," Prakash said.

Prakash, a daily wage laborer, recounted how he admitted his pregnant wife to JK Lon Hospital on May 7 when her condition was stable, although the baby was in a breech position necessitating an emergency C-section that very night.

"She underwent the C-section and delivered a healthy baby. However, her condition started deteriorating the next day, on May 8, when doctors stated that her uterus suffered from an infection requiring surgery to remove it," he said, noting that this second surgery occurred within just 15 hours.

Adding to the family's frustration, the medical staff carelessly left the removed uterus in a box on a table near Pinki's bed, saying it would be sent for examination. "However, the box remained placed at the same position," Praksh said.

The tragedy sparked outrage, with family members staging a protest at NMCH's premises alongside Congress workers led by the party's Kota city president. They placed the box containing the uterus at the protest site, demanding accountability and refusing to allow a postmortem of Pinki's body.

NMCH principal Dr Nilesh Jain, however, said, "Pinki Mahawar was a high-risk patient since the initial stage of pregnancy." Jain added that a high-level committee formed by the state govt was currently investigating conditions at JK Lon Hospital.

The recent fatalities have raised alarms over the safety protocols in place at govt hospitals in Kota. Previously, two other women—Payal, 26, and Jyoti Nayak, 19—died last week, while Priya Mahawar, 22, succumbed Sunday. Hospital officials contended that Priya's death was due to a cardiac complication rather than a post-surgical infection.

Currently, the condition of six other postpartum women receiving treatment in NMCH's Super Specialty Block remains critical, intensifying concerns over a troubling trend in post-C-section complications in the region.