Stung by deaths, Niloufer diverts cases to other hospitals

Hyderabad: Following the suspension of surgeries at Niloufer Hospital after five deaths of women after C-section surgeries, hospital authorities are referring cases to Osmania General Hospital and other government maternity hospitals in the city.

On an average, about 30 to 40 cases were dealt on every single day in Niloufer Hospital, but now only normal deliveries are conducted numbering just six to seven per day.

With the suspension of the surgeries, the delivery cases are being referred to the government maternity hospitals in Petla Burj and Osmania General Hospital etc.

Even some normal delivery cases are being sent to other hospitals because of unhygienic surroundings and lack of proper toilet facilities.

Tension was palpable at the hospital as relatives of patients continued to stage dharna in front of the main administrative block.

“As there were no post mortem examinations done on the bodies, we are not able to take up the cases. We are staying at hospital most of the time to maintain law and order due to dharnas said police inspector Madhusudhan Reddy of Nampally police station.

Brother of the 20 year-old Nusrat Begum who died due to severe bleeding after the surgery says “We asked the doctors to conduct post mortem examination but they bluntly asked us to take the body without performing any post mortem and also warned us that they would not hand over the body else.

We have been waiting all day and are not allowed inside hospital.” When asked about the resume of surgeries at the hospital, Dr Lalu Prasad, RMO said, “No new surgeries are being taken up, it may take some time since the hospital has to get the permission from the government.”

According to the families of the deceased, the reasons resulting in deaths are due to infections caused in the operation theatre, lack of basic facilities and negligence of the management.

Pedaiah, a relative of a patient said that even basic facilities such as drinking water and clean toilets are a far cry. Several patients lie on the hospitals’ floor due to inadequate facilities.

Meanwhile, the Health Minister C Laxma Reddy said an enquiry report on the death of five women during delivery in Niloufer hospital would be received in the next three or four days.

Reddy said that the State government would take stern action against those found guilty of negligence.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, the Health Minister appealed to the Opposition parties not to politicise the deaths at Niloufer.

He said that the complete medical history and treatment given to those five women was also being reviewed. He said that a three-member team comprising of Anesthetist Dr. Deep Raj Singh, Petla Burj Hospital Superintendant Dr. Pratibha and Gandhi Hospital's Professor Dr. Rani was conducting a comprehensive probe.

The Minister informed that last year, as many as 6,795 deliveries were performed at Niloufer Hospital while this year 553 babies have been delivered so far.

He said Niloufer Hospital gets nearly 1,000-1200 out-patients and about 900-1400 in-patients every day. He said most of the cases which come to Niloufer Hospital are of complicated nature.

He said that the Niloufer Hospital has a good reputation and it also acts as a training school for doctors of other hospitals across the country.