Bantwal: Death of pregnant woman - Angry locals protest, doctor taken into custody
Mounesh Vishwakarma / Kishore Peraje
Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal
Updated
Bantwal, Feb 8: Following the death of a pregnant woman and her unborn baby at Somayaji hospital, angry locals gathered in front of the hospital on Friday February 7 and held a flash protest alleging that negligence of hospital's doctors and staff had resulted in the two deaths.
As a preventive measure to avoid worsening of the situation, the police took Dr Rameshanand Somayaji into custody on Friday evening.
Chanchalakshi, wife of Naveen Kumar M, a resident of government employees' colony at BC Road, was admitted at Somayaji hospital to deliver her second child. However, after the doctors reportedly administered an injection to induce labour, she developed complications and died, and the baby too died in the womb.
Hundreds of locals assembled in the hospital premises and alleged that the delayed action in registering the complaint and arresting the doctor had shown the lackadaisical attitude of the Bantwal town police. A tense atmosphere prevailed in the hospital premises.
The people gathered not only in front of the hospital building but even assembled on the national highway and on the overbridge, thus obstructing traffic for sometime. Additional police teams were deployed at the spot. The police tried to pacify the crowd. SI Sanjeeth Kallur and Pramod Kumar arrived and tried to resolve the issue through talks with the protestors, but in vain.
The protest escalated when the people saw Dr Rameshanand standing near the hospital reception counter and demanded his arrest. Bantwal circle inspector Rajshekar Mestry on receiving information about the protest rushed to the spot and took control of the situation, holding talks with town council member Sadashiva Bangera, Laxman Agrabail, Anand Kulal, Prabhakar Daivagudde, Kishore Kulal, Ganesh Punjarakodi, Rajesh, Bharati, Yashoda and others.
However, the protestors were not convinced. They sat on dharna and threatened that the protest would continue until the doctors responsible for the pregnant woman's death were arrested.
Finally, the circle inspector talked to Dr Rameshanand and took him into custody amid tight security. Only then did the protestors disperse from the hospital premises.
Demand for minister's visit
Alleging that deaths due to negligence by doctors in hospitals at BC Road and Bantwal had increased of late, the protestors demanded that minister for health (U T Khadar) arrive at the spot and conduct an inspection. The minister was then contacted over the phone, but he told the inspector that he was unable to come to the spot and directed him to take necessary action as per law. Though a few such incidents had taken place in the same hospital as well as in others places in Bantwal, no doctor had been arrested, nor did the minister take any action despite appeals, said the locals. It was only due to non-stop protest on Friday evening for over two hours that the police were forced to take the doctor into custody, they said.
Earlier Report: Feb 7
Bantwal: Pregnant woman, unborn baby die, doctors' negligence alleged
Kishore Peraje
Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal
Bantwal, Feb 7: A pregnant woman died in a private hospital at BC Road here late night on Thursday February 6, allegedly due to the negligence of the hospital doctors and staff.
Chanchalakshi (29), wife of Naveen Kumar M, a resident of government employees' colony at BC Road, was due for delivery on February 4 and was admitted to Somayaji hospital on Thursday morning. However, on Thursday night she developed complications and both she and the unborn baby died.
As per a complaint filed by Naveen with the police, Chanchalakshi was healthy till around 6.40 pm on Thursday, and had even consumed tea and talked to her family members.
As she did not have labour pains, the doctors decided to induce labour and administered an injection, after which they shifted her to the labour room. However, her condition is said to have deteriorated after administrating the injection. Her body turned turned dark and soon the doctors declared her dead, stated Naveen in his complaint.
The doctors also said that the baby was still alive and could be saved, and advised Naveen to shift her to a hospital in Mangalore. She was immediately taken to a private hospital in Mangalore by ambulance, but the baby died in the womb on the way. Naveen alleged in the complaint that the medical staff and doctors at Somayaji hospital were responsible for the deaths of the mother and the baby.
Naveen also alleged that when he apprached the Bantwal town police to file a complaint, the police personnel misbehaved with him and refused to lodge the complaint.
Thereafter, newly-appointed ACP Sanjay Kumar arrived at the police station and accepted the complaint. The ASI who was on duty at Kalladka later registered the case.
Chanchalakshi was employee at Mescom. Mother of a six-year-old boy, Chanchalakshi was pregnant with her second child.
Further investigations are on.