Woman, infant dies after delivery in Mahabubnagar

Mahabubnagar: In an unfortunate incident, a woman and her newborn baby died after delivery allegedly due to neglect by family members in taking her to the hospital before time and even worse she was made to run between hospitals due to lack of medical care. The woman's ordeal was such that she was taken to two Primary health care centers (PHCs) and three hospitals within a radius of 180 kms on Monday midnight between Nagarkurnool and Mahabubnagar districts.

As per reports C Swarna (23) from Vankeswaram, Padara mandal of Nagarkurnool district was married to Charagonda Prasad from Yellamapalli of Amrabad mandal two years ago. Prasad was working in a private company in Hyderabad. Swarna who became pregnant had come to her mother's place for delivery two months ago.

On Monday night at 8:30 pm she developed pains and was taken to Padara PHC in a private vehicle. Seeing that there was no qualified staff her family members out of fear shifted her to the Amrabad PHC. Unfortunately, there was no doctor there as well and they took her to Acchmapet Government Hospital.

Meanwhile, Swarna started having fits and the Acchampet Hospital doctors recommended that she be taken to Nagerkurnool District Hospital. They immediately shifted her into an ambulance. As her condition turned critical, the doctors there gave her some injections and referred them to go to the Mahabubnagar General Hospital. They reached there at 2:30 am and at around 3:30 am Swarna had a normal delivery. But the baby who was unable to breathe on its own died shortly after delivery. Half an hour later the mother also died.

The distraught family members said that if there were doctors available either at the Padara or Amrabad PHCs, the mother and child would have survived.

The Deputy Superintendent of Mahabubnagar General Hospital Dr. Jeevan however clarified that Swarna was already having blood pressure issues and the local doctor had advised her family members that she should be admitted to the hospital before the expected time of delivery. However, the family members neglected that fact and took her to Amrabad only when she started having delivery pains. She had already had a bout of fits once, and between her journey from Atchampet to Nagarkurnool and then to Mahbubnagar, she had four bouts of fits. Though Swarna had a normal delivery she suffered another round of fits and had a cardiac arrest leading to her death, he said.