Woman Dies Hours After Delivery, Family Alleges Medical Negligence

A 34-year-old woman died a few hours after giving birth to a healthy baby at the Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital in Baramulla,  Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday. Soon after her untimely demise, aggrieved family members of the new mother began probing the cause of her death, alleging negligence from the hospital staff. Protests by family members have erupted inside the GMC campus against the government hospital and staff.

Family members said that the deceased mother, Dilshada Begum was fit before the delivery. She underwent a Lower Segment Caesarean Section (LSCS) and gave birth to a healthy baby boy, but died five hours after birth. She already had two sons before this. Begum allegedly complained of discomfort and uneasiness a few hours after the delivery, but allegedly no medical staff paid attention to her. 

Death Of A New Mother

Family members of Dilshada Begum said that her health was continually deteriorating late at night on Monday after the delivery. Still, a nurse assured her family that she was all right and only a single doctor came to check later. But it was too late, as Begum succumbed while being taken to the operation theatre. This evoked suspicion among her family members, leading to them protesting against the Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital.

Begum's relative, Muhammad Ramzan said that the aggrieved family members are demanding accountability from the Baramulla GMC staff, questioning the hospital’s adherence to directives for night visits, asserting that timely intervention could have saved a life. “How can they leave a patient like this? Why did the doctors not bother to at least inquire about her health? We don’t want someone else to die like this. The authorities must fix responsibility,” added Ramzan.

In response to the uproar, GMC Baramulla issued a detailed press release, acknowledging the incident and assuring a swift investigation. The Principal of GMC Baramulla, Dr Ruby Reshi, in her press release stated that they have initiated an immediate inquiry, forming a committee to investigate the circumstances leading to the death of the woman. Dr Parvaiz Masoodi, Medical Superintendent of District Hospital Baramulla, conveyed condolences to the grieving family and pledged a comprehensive investigation. He emphasised that individuals responsible for wrongdoing would face strict legal consequences.