A team of doctors from the SCB Medical College, Cuttack and officials from the State Government, including the Director of Health Services and the Director of Medical Education and Training (DMET) have completed an inquiry into the deaths of three pregnant ladies in the Gynaecology Department of the VSS Medical College and Hospital after having undergone caesarean section on Friday night.
The victims were Sulochana Pradhan of Belpahar in Jharsuguda district, Kasturi Seth of Sialkhandada village in Bargarh district and Kalpana Mahakud of Bannibahali village of same Bargarh district. “The Government team apart, a six-member team of doctors of the VSS headed by Prof Braja Kishore Mishra are also inquiring into the abnormal deaths of the ladies,” informed VSS superintendent Dr lK Dash. Both the teams will submit their report to the Government soon, Dr Dash added.
As per information, nine deliveries were made on the same day through caesarean section due to abnormality with the patients. But four to five hours after the operation, three ladies developed complicacy and foams started coming out of their mouths. The attendants of the patients and the nurses on duty informed the doctors. But all efforts failed to save the ladies who died one after another.
Surprisingly enough, Gynaecology Department HOD, who treated the patient, Prof lalmohan Nayak attributed the deaths due to medicine reaction and also questioned the genuineness of the medicine given to the patients during operation. But VSS superintendent Dr Dash strongly rubbished the cause cited by Nayak and said the statement was irresponsible. “Same medicine is given to patients all over the State including those in the rural areas. At the same time, same medicine was given to all the nine patients on Friday. When everything is alright all over the State including those six in the VSS who were
operated with the diseased ones the same day, how could the genuineness of the medicine be suspected,” asked Dr Dash. “These patients might have some other problems that ended in death,” Dr Dash instead said, giving indication that there might be some lapses during the operation of the ill-fated ladies. In the meanwhile, all the political parties have protested the incident and demanded action against the doctors in charge of treatment and their negligence. The Congress and the BJP have also demanded Rs 10 lakh compensation to each victim.
Sambalpur MlA Dr Raseswari Panigrahi, who at one point of time was the HOD the Department, also immediately rushed to the college to take stock of the situation. Dr Panigrahi also suggested waiting for the inquiry reports before jumping to any conclusion as no doctor, according to her, wants to play with the life of any patient.