Alappuzha: The State Commission for Minorities on Monday took suo motu cognizance into alleged medical negligence at TD Medical College Alappuzha, following the death of a woman within 35 days after childbirth.
Shibina (31), wife of Ansar from Karoor in Purakkad panchayat, died while receiving treatment for an infection acquired post-childbirth.
The commission acted upon a complaint from Shibina's relatives, who alleged that doctors disregarded her complaints of persistent discomfort and stomach pain at the time of discharge. It has summoned explanations from the health department principal secretary, director of medical education, state police chief, and superintendent of the medical college regarding the incident. This decision was made during the commission's meeting chaired by AA Rashid in Thiruvananthapuram. The commission also directed the officials to submit their explanations during the upcoming session at the Alappuzha collectorate on May 7.
Shibina was admitted to the hospital on March 21 for delivery and gave birth to a baby girl on March 26. A few days after getting discharged from the hospital, she was readmitted after her health conditions worsened due to infection. She was then shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on March 30 and underwent dialysis. She was put on a ventilator on Sunday morning, but could not be saved. Following her death, relatives staged a protest at the hospital alleging medical negligence. They have also filed a complaint with the police and the Chief Minister seeking a probe.
However, hospital authorities contend that Shibina received all necessary treatments and attribute her death to successive cardiac arrests. “A surgery was carried out following which the condition of the patient was gradually improving. However, two back-to-back cardiac arrests in the last two days worsened the condition of the patient, eventually leading to her death. A medical board would be constituted to further probe the matter,” said the hospital superintendent.
