JSA seeks judicial probe, compensation in Kota hospital deaths

Jaipur: Jan Swasthya Abhiyan Rajasthan Saturday demanded a judicial inquiry and compensation for victims in the Kota hospital case in which two women died, and several others developed serious complications after C-section operations at New Medical College Hospital.

The organisation, a collective of health activists and NGOs, alleged that the incident reflected deeper failures in Rajasthan’s public healthcare and drug monitoring systems.

In a statement, JSA coordinator Chhaya Pachauli said women who had gone to the hospital for safe maternity care instead became victims of an unsafe healthcare system.

“This is not an isolated incident. It exposes grave failures in drug procurement, storage, quality testing, monitoring, and accountability in Rajasthan’s public health system. The October 2025 deaths of children linked to cough syrup had already raised serious concerns about the state’s drug regulation and surveillance mechanisms,” Pachauli said.

The organisation demanded a high-level, independent, and time-bound judicial or expert inquiry into the incident, with the findings made public. It also called for FIRs against those found responsible after the investigation is completed.

JSA further demanded that the state govt bear the full treatment cost of the affected women and provide compensation of at least Rs 50 lakh to each survivor and Rs 1 crore, along with social security support, to the families of the deceased.

The group also sought an independent audit of the medicine procurement and quality control systems of the Rajasthan Medical Services Corporation. It called for public disclosure of medicine batch details, quality reports and test results related to critical drugs.

JSA additionally recommended the inclusion of independent experts, civil society representatives and patient rights groups in monitoring mechanisms, along with stronger safety protocols, staff training and wider public health reforms.