Kamareddy: Family Alleges Medical Negligence After Baby’s Death

Hyderabad: A newborn died at the Kamareddy district government hospital on Saturday after a 20-year-old woman, admitted for her first delivery, underwent a Caesarean section, prompting her family and relatives to allege medical negligence.

Swaroopa, from Lingampally, was admitted to the Government General Hospital (GGH), Kamareddy, on Friday. She was around 38 weeks pregnant and had a haemoglobin level of 7 gm/dL, indicating severe anaemia. She was administered blood after admission, hospital officials said.

According to hospital superintendent Dr Venkateshwar, the woman was in precipitate labour and doctors monitored her condition before deciding to perform a Caesarean section on Saturday. During the procedure, the baby could not be revived and died.

“Ideally, a pregnant woman should have at least 10 gm haemoglobin. Severe anaemia may have contributed to the outcome,” Dr Venkateshwar said. He said the mother was stable and was receiving treatment at the hospital.

The death of the infant triggered protests by the family, who alleged that there was a delay in conducting the Caesarean section and questioned the treatment provided to Swaroopa. Dr Venkateshwar said the allegations would be examined through a primary inquiry and an internal committee would also be constituted to investigate the circumstances leading to the newborn’s death.

“If any lapses are found, action will be taken against those responsible,” he said. The superintendent said the hospital handles around 10 to 15 deliveries a day and receives several high-risk cases from rural areas. He also said inadequate antenatal care and lack of awareness among some pregnant women contributed to complications. He said incidents of this nature were reported once every three to five months, while stressing that the present case would be investigated.