The family of the 22-year-old woman, who died during treatment after childbirth, on Sunday raised allegations of medical negligence against the Taluk Hospital in Karunagappally, Kollam, where she was initially admitted. The deceased is Jariyath (22), wife of Noufal and a native of Thevalakkara in Kollam. She passed away on Sunday while receiving treatment at the TD Medical College, Vandanam, in Alappuzha.

Jariyath, who was admitted to the taluk hospital on Monday, gave birth around 1.30 am on Friday. According to her family, after the delivery, she was moved to the post operative ward, where she remained unconscious. "When her blood pressure levels began to drop, we were advised to shift her to the medical college hospital in Alappuzha," said Jariyath’s sister.

The family also alleged that the taluk hospital failed to provide proper care and did not issue a discharge summary when they had to transfer her, a claim the authorities denied. The family also claimed they were not kept informed about her condition or of any complications during the delivery.

“She was in pain for about four days. On Thursday, the doctor said she would not check on Jariyath because her duty shift was over, even though Jariyath was on IV fluid support,” the family alleged. 

“She showed several complications - signs of pneumonia and seizures, and low oxygen and blood pressure levels -  even after being admitted to the Vandanam Medical College,” said Jariyath’s sister. Despite treatment at Vandanam, Jariyath died around 2.30 am. After the post-mortem, her funeral was held on Sunday afternoon. 

According to the family, preliminary findings indicated that blood circulation from a nerve in her toes had been cut off, which may have contributed to her death. The family said she had been consulting the same doctor at Karunagappally Taluk Hospital since her seventh month of pregnancy.

Meanwhile, the Karunagappally hospital authorities confirmed that there were some complications during the delivery. "So instead of a normal delivery, a caesarean was conducted. An injection was given along with anaesthesia. Fifteen minutes after she was shifted to the postoperative ward, her blood pressure dropped, and she was referred to another hospital," said Dr Thomas Alphonse, Superintendent, Karunagappally Taluk Hospital.

"According to the Vandanam Medical College authorities, the patient was in a condition of postpartum cardiomyopathy. The DMO and hospital officials are looking into the incident. The exact cause of death can only be determined after the autopsy report. We did everything we could,” Dr Thomas Alphonse added.

The Chavara South Police in Kollam have registered a case under section 194 (unnatural deaths) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) based on a complaint from Jariyath's family. "The inquest procedures have been completed, and further investigation is underway," said cops.

"The baby remains stable and healthy," Jariyath's family stated.