Nongpoh CH miscarriage case
SHILLONG, Sep 24: Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh clarified on Tuesday that there was no malpractice or neglect in the case of the 19-week pregnant woman from Umden, who experienced a miscarriage at Nongpoh Civil Hospital in Ri-Bhoi.
Addressing the situation, Lyngdoh explained, “The 19-week pregnant woman from Umden, who had cramps and was at risk of a spontaneous abortion, was brought to Nongpoh on the advice of the Umden Health Centre. Upon her arrival at Nongpoh, she was immediately attended to by the doctors on duty at 3 am. She was also seen by doctors during the normal OPD hours and remained under proper medical care.”
Lyngdoh further elaborated that the patient had gone to the toilet when she suddenly experienced severe cramps, leading to the miscarriage of the 19-week-old foetus. “It is not true that the patient was not receiving necessary attention or treatment,” she added.
While acknowledging the emotional toll on the family, Lyngdoh said, “It would have been difficult to save the foetus. I understand the family’s pain and sense of loss, and I send my condolences to them. However, I must stress that there was no malpractice or neglect in this case.”
She also urged caution in the dissemination of information regarding such cases, stating, “We need to be very careful when publishing such reports. It could be misinterpreted as if a full-term baby was born in the toilet and lost due to negligence, but that is not the case here.”
Lyngdoh informed that an investigation is under way to determine whether ambulance services were unavailable or not provided in a timely manner. “The Chief Minister’s Save Motherhood Scheme is operational across the state. While emergencies may arise due to unavoidable circumstances, it is not true that negligence was the cause of this incident. There are multiple potential causes for spontaneous abortion. I am awaiting the full report, and once I have it, I will share it,” she concluded.