According to sources, Saheedunnissa Ansari, a 26-year-old pregnant with her first child, was admitted to the Municipality Maternity Home at Hanuman Nagar on April 29 with labor pain. She delivered a newborn weighing 4 kg, who passed away shortly after on April 30 at 12.30 am. Following this, the mother was shifted to LTMG Sion Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
According to reports, the brother-in-law, Shahrukh Ansari, claims that the original plan was to have a vaginal delivery, but then the baby’s heartbeat started to fall, and the doctor did an episiotomy without the family's consent. It was only when the heartbeat fell to fatal levels that the family was approached for C-section consent. The maternity home was experiencing persistent electricity fluctuations throughout the day, but still, the doctors went ahead with the risky surgery and performed it under a torchlight, putting both the mother's and baby’s lives in danger.
Following the demise of the newborn and severe postpartum bleeding by the mother, the patient was shifted to LTMG Sion Hospital, where she was declared dead.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), one of the richest civic bodies in India, has formed a Maternity Mortality Committee to probe into the matter. According to reports, BMC Executive Health Officer, Dr. Daksha Shah, has said that the facility has been facing a generator issue, and the power went off during suturing after the surgery. She informed me that the mother had postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) after childbirth, which in itself is unpredictable and a life-threatening emergency that was later accompanied by a convulsive episode before transfer. She assured that a committee consisting of an esteemed panel of doctors would diligently review the matter.
WHO has reported that postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), commonly defined as a blood loss of 500 ml or more within 24 hours after birth, is the leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide as of 2023.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has also demanded an investigation into the incident. According to reports, the NCW has said that the honorable chairperson has penned a letter to the Additional Chief Secretary, Public Healthcare Department, Government of Maharashtra, asking for a comprehensive report on the matter in 3 days and urging them to address the issue and take appropriate action to prevent such unfortunate incidents in the future.
The Savitribai Phule Maternity Home, which is only 1 km away, has been recently accused of mouth-taping newborns to stop them from crying and is currently closed for renovation, which has led to a surge of patients in the Sushma Swaraj Maternity Home. According to reports, a senior medical staff member from the maternity home, on terms of remaining anonymous, has reported that the facility was dealing with a generator issue while the medical team was working efficiently under testing conditions, making umpteen efforts to get the generator up and running as soon as possible.
(Inputs from various sources)
(Rehash/Dr. Yogeeta V H/SB)