Probe ordered as family asks govt to take responsibility of victim’s seven children
JOWAI, June 5: A pregnant woman and her unborn child died at the Maternity and Child Hospital (MCH) in Jowai on Wednesday.
The family of the victim, Pynche Bareh from Jalaphet village in East Jaintia Hills, has accused the hospital’s medical staff of gross negligence leading to her death.
They asked the government to take responsibility for her seven children and refused to receive her body from the hospital unless the demand was met.
They said they will stay at the hospital until a government official provides a written assurance of support for her seven children.
The West Jaintia Hills district administration constituted a four-member fact-finding committee to probe the woman’s death.
Deputy Commissioner Abhinav Kumar Singh said, “The death of Pynche Bareh is unfortunate. It has been reported that she passed away on June 4 at 9:30 p.m. at the MC Hospital.”
He said the woman was first admitted to Sutnga CHC on June 2 with a complaint of bleeding. “On June 3, she was admitted to the MCH. On June 4, she was reviewed by a consultant. At 2 pm, her condition was stable. At 5:30 pm, she complained of abdominal pain and was shifted to the Higher Dependency Unit. Technically, she was under constant monitoring. At 8:10 pm, her condition started to deteriorate. After a set of medical procedures, it was declared at 9:15 p.m. that she passed away,” he said.
Singh said that an internal committee has been constituted by the MCH Superintendent to look into the case and submit a report. A separate team from the Directorate of Health Services, headed by a Joint Director, has also visited the hospital and initiated its fact-finding exercise, collecting information from the medical officers, the gynaecologist, paediatrician, and others involved.
“From the district administration, we have appointed our Additional Deputy Commissioner, B. Blah, to conduct an impartial inquiry. This committee will ascertain the reality of the case,” he said.
“To ensure impartiality, we have requested a gynaecologist and a paediatrician. With the DMHO, it would be a four-member committee,” Singh said.
In a press statement, the victim’s sisters blamed her death on the negligence of the doctors and nurses at the MCH. The Jaintia National Council (JNC) also criticised the MCH.
“This unfortunate incident occurred due to the negligence of the hospital staff, including the doctors and nurses, which led to the death of the pregnant woman and her unborn child,” the JNC said.
The council demanded that the government take responsibility for the victim’s family, which includes her seven children, ensuring that their needs are met.
Earlier, the Bareh clan of East Jaintia Hills met the DC and demanded an investigation into the pregnant woman’s death.
The clan representatives visited the MCH to meet with the family members of the deceased and submitted a written complaint to the DC. They asked the state government to initiate an official investigation into the woman’s death.
The clan expressed anger and grief over this tragic incident and called upon the authorities to take strict action against those responsible for her death. At the same time, they also demanded justice and compensation for the bereaved family, especially because the victim left behind seven children.