The police have booked a gynaecologist and officials of a hospital in Sector 83 for medical negligence on the recommendation of the Haryana health department, following an inquiry into the death of a 28-year-old woman post-delivery on January 5.
Investigators said that the victim, Manesar resident Monika Yadav, gave birth to a boy after being admitted to Saksham Hospital around 9am on the day but was declared dead by 6.40pm due to excessive bleeding, as per the lapses listed by the health department.
A senior health department official said the patient’s medical history clearly ruled out the possibility of a normal delivery. “She had previously undergone a Caesarean section. Despite this, the gynaecologist attempted a normal delivery, delaying the childbirth by several hours and thereby increasing complications,” the official said, requesting anonymity.
Gurugram chief medical officer (CMO) Dr Alka Singh said that police investigation has just begun in the case which is sub judice. “No further comments could be made at present. Actions were taken after an inquiry by the medical negligence board,” she added.
When contacted, Saksham Hospital declined to comment. A hospital official, Deepanshu, identifying himself as the facility’s business head, refused to speak on the matter. An email sent to the hospital seeking a response had not been answered at the time of filing this report.
Inspector Virender Khatri, station house officer (SHO) of Kherki Daula police station, said an FIR was based on findings of the inquiry conducted by the medical negligence board. “A committee led by a group of health department doctors found several lapses on the part of the gynaecologist and hospital, which led to the woman’s death. That includes carrying out a normal delivery instead of a C-section, non-availability of blood for transfusion and absence of ambulance service. On the basis of the board’s recommendation, we registered a case and initiated an investigation,” he said.
The FIR, which was assessed by HT, was registered under sections 106 (causing death by negligence) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Kherki Daula police station on Monday night, police said, adding arrest will be made on the basis of the inquiry report provided by the board.
Meanwhile, health department officials privy to the matter said that the woman lay bleeding and was left unattended after delivery, with no immediate intervention. “Our inquiry also found that the hospital had no blood bank on the premises for emergencies, nor was there an ambulance service available for patient transfer,” she said.
Monika’s husband, Manoj Kumar, in his police complaint, alleged that the gynaecologist initially told them that a Caesarean delivery would be necessary. “But on January 5, the doctor opted for a normal delivery, which took over five hours. After the birth, my wife began to bleed heavily. I raised the alarm, but the doctor dismissed it as normal,” he said in the police complaint.
Kumar further alleged that despite her worsening condition, she was not shifted to the ICU or referred to another facility. “When her condition deteriorated, a nurse administered an anaesthetic and claimed she would be shifted to another hospital. That’s when we realised there was no ambulance available. By then, Monika had died,” he alleged.