Hospital negligence cry in death of woman after giving birth – ET HealthWorld

Sambalpur: The death of a junior hospital manager, Shibani Panigrahi, after undergoing a Caesarean section for delivery at the district headquarters hospital (DHH), has prompted health activists to raise questions on the efficacy of the Odisha government’s Janani Surakhya Yojana

The members of Utsarga, a city-based social organisation that has been working on health issues, alleged that Shibani had died due to negligence and demanded a high-level inquiry into the incident.

According to the members, Shibani underwent a Caesarean section at the Sambalpur DHH for her second baby on November 4 and gave birth to a girl. However, instead of providing medical care for post-operative complications, Dr B.B. Mishra, who conducted the operation, was out of town.

Though there were five senior and experienced doctors in the hospital at that time, a less experienced doctor, who had been posted at the DHH on deputation, was asked to treat Shibani. Shibani’s condition turned critical on November 5, following which she was shifted to the ICU of a private nursing home where she died the next day.

“When we were collecting data on her death, we found that medical negligence was the likely reason. Had she been given proper treatment, she could have been saved. The matter is being inquired into by a committee formed by the DHH authorities. But we demand a probe by a higher-level committee,” said senior member of Utsarga, Priya Ranjan Sahu.