26- year-old dies due to excessive bleeding post delivery, family alleges negligence

CHENNAI: The family members of a 26-year-old woman who delivered a boy at the Royapuram Government RSRM Lying in Hospital on after a caesarean surgery on January 6, 2024, protested at the hospital alleging medical negligence.

The woman passed away on Thursday at the Stanley Medical College and Hospital after the doctors removed her uterus as she entered labour, which resulted in excessive blood loss.

The woman was taken to the Government RSRM Hospital on January 6th, after she developed labour pain. The doctors had decided to perform a caesarean surgery as it was her second delivery and previously also she had undergone a caesarean surgery.

While the family members alleged that the uterus removal led to the excessive bleeding, the hospital authorities from the RSRM Hospital said that uterus removal was done as a measure to save her life as she was bleeding from the uterus.

"It was her second delivery and though she did not have a history of any major illness or a heart disease, she suffered a heart attack during delivery. She had severe blood loss from the uterus as the clot mechanism failed in her body. At least 55 units of blood was administered and a team of 40 doctors and paramedics on rotation basis were involved in her treatment, " said Dr Shanthi Elango, superintendent of the RSRM Hospital.

She added that the family was informed about the course of the treatment and her complications post delivery. The patient had revived after the heart attack and she was conscious but she suffered another heart attack on Thursday morning."

She was shifted to the Government Stanley Medical College and Hospital, where she succumbed to injuries early on Thursday.

The doctors at the Stanley Medical College performed the post mortem after she passed away and the hospital authorities said that the viscera report is awaited, while the death is reported to have been due to excessive bleeding. The child is normal and is under observation at the RSRM Hospital.

When questioned about the incident during an event in the city on Thursday, health minister Ma Subramanian said that the doctors try their best to treat a patient at a government hospital.

"The kin of patients usually blame a government hospital stating that the hospital is at fault, however, when it is a private hospital, they pay heavy bills and do not say anything. No doctor intentionally does a wrong procedure. We will look into the issue and take action in this case, if required, " he said.