India: Woman, twin babies die after hospital refuses admission

A doctor and three nurses of the Tumakuru District Hospital in Karnataka were suspended, after a woman and her twin babies died due to their negligence. The pregnant woman was denied treatment here.

The woman, identified as Kasturi, was a resident of Bharatinagar in Tumakuru. She used to live with her six-year-old orphaned daughter.

Kasturi was sent by the local residents — along with an old woman, who was her neighbour — to the district hospital after she developed labour pain on Wednesday night.

However, it has been alleged that the mother was sent back from the hospital on the grounds that she did not have the "mother health card".

The children and the mother died because the doctor neglected to treat them, despite their desperate pleas for help.

Apart from this, it has also been alleged that they told the woman to get treatment at the Victoria Hospital in Bangalore instead of treating her. However, she returned home as had no money.

On Thursday morning, while delivering the babies, the woman died along with the newborns (twin boys) due to severe blood loss.

Kasturi hails from Tamil Nadu and has been living in Bhartinagar for the past one month.

Locals have alleged that the Tumkuru District Hospital doctor was responsible for the death of the pregnant woman and her two children.

The locals took the matter to the District Health Officer (DHO) Manjunath and demanded the suspension of guilty doctors. After visiting the site of the incident, he confirmed that "the concerned doctors and staff in the district hospital have been suspended".

Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar also visited the district hospital on Thursday.

"Between 9am and 10am a very pregnant woman came to the hospital. The woman was brought by two locals. She has come to get treatment for labour pain. We saw the CCTV camera video where the nurses took her inside when she came. On arrival, the mother was asked for government mother card and an Aadhaar card. She didn't have any of that. Neighbours brought her under compulsion," explained Sudhakar.

He also confirmed that the doctor and three nurses had been suspended for their negligence.

"Apparently, it seems that the three nurses working in the maternity ward have committed negligence of duty. There was also a duty doctor in the hospital. Whatever she could have said, she could have come and given treatment. This is dereliction of duty. They behaved inhumanly. I am shocked by this incident," he said.

"So four people have been suspended. One doctor and three nurses have been suspended. The unlucky girl is orphan now. If her family members do not support her, the district administration will arrange for free education and accommodation up to 18 years. Personally I would like to do FD in her account."

Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah held Sudhakar responsible for the death of two newborns and demanded his resignation.

Former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy demanded severe punishment for those responsible.