Namakkal: In an unprecedented move, the Namakkal police have slapped a case of medical negligence and homicide against a doctor and nurse of the government hospital in Tiruchengode in Namakkal district for the death of a 25 year old woman, who delivered her third baby at the hospital.
The woman, Sathya, wife of a powerloom labourer, Kumar, who was admitted to the Tiruchengode government hospital for delivering her third baby, died last Friday just two hours after the child was born.
The government hospital doctor, Karpagaselvi and nurse Jothimani have been booked for homicide under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code after an inquiry by the Revenue officials and the hospital dean.
According to the police, Sathya, who was a mother of two girls and pregnant with the third baby, developed labour pain on Friday and was admitted to the primary health centre at Manikampalayam. However, the doctors advised that she be taken to the Tiruchengode government hospital for an emergency cesarean section. Sathya, a resident of Kumaramangalam near Tiruchengode, was rushed to the Tiruchengode government hospital around 6 p.m. on Friday. She gave birth to a baby boy on Friday evening.
Within two hours of the child delivery, Sathya who was talking well to her relatives, suddenly fainted. Doctors who checked her declared that she was dead.
The relatives of the woman lodged a police complaint against the GH doctor and nurse who attended on Sathya, claiming that their medical negligence led to their death. The district administration ordered an inquiry headed by the revenue divisional officer. Following the inquiry by the RDO Mahatma, Tahsildar, Rathinam and chief medical officer Dr Latha, a case of medical negligence and homicide was registered against the medical doctor and nurse who attended to the woman.
However, the Indian Medical Association decided to rally behind the government doctor and the nurse who are in the dock. According to the Tiruchengode branch president of the Indian Medical Association, the woman had died of medical complications she had been suffering for long.
She suffered respiratory problems and the doctor and nurse tried hard to revive her, but she died. Besides, action can be initiated against doctors only after an inquiry panel submits its report. “The case against the government doctor and nurse has to be withdrawn,” he said, threatening a stir over the issue.
