Medical Negligence Claims Rise at Hazaribag Hospital after Pregnant Woman's Tragic Death

Hazaribag: Families of a pregnant woman accused the Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College and Hospital in Hazaribag of medical negligence after a pregnant woman admitted for delivery died under mysterious circumstances.

While the family alleged that she fell from the operation theatre (OT) bed, leading to her and her unborn child’s death, the hospital authorities claimed that the woman’s family acted irresponsibly by moving her to a private hospital without the doctors’ advice. The incident triggered chaos on the hospital premises as angry relatives and locals staged a protest at the hospital late Saturday night.

The deceased, Babli Kumari (26), was admitted to the hospital late Saturday night after experiencing labour pain. She was taken to the OT for delivery, where she allegedly fell off the bed and suffered critical injuries. Her family rushed her to a private hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival.

Civil surgeon Dr Ashok Kumar accepted that the patient fell off the bed, but also said that the family shouldn’t have shifted her to a private hospital without the doctors’ advice. “If the patient was not taken away, she could have survived,” Dr Kumar said.

Hospital superintendent Dr Anukaran Purti, however, denied that the woman fell from the bed, stating that her family took her to another hospital on their own. He said that after two hours, they returned with the body and started blaming the hospital for her death. Dr Purti told TOI that despite the family's wrong allegations, they are conducting a probe in this regard to find out the truth.

Later, the relative of the patient, Babli Devi, removed the dead body from Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College and Hospital and the family, however, did not allow a post-mortem examination and performed her last rites at Khirgaon Muktidham in the city.