Consent at 11 — Caesarean at 5: When delay proved fatal

Issue - December - 2025, Posted On: 01 December 2025

A woman in advanced pregnancy was admitted to a nursing home for delivery. By late morning, her condition required surgical intervention. Consent for a caesarean was taken from the family at around 11 a.m. Yet the surgery was not performed until nearly five hours later, and by the time it took place, the baby had died.

The family alleged that the delay was entirely due to the absence of an anaesthetist at the facility. They argued that although consent had been secured, the doctor did not arrange for anaesthesia support in time and carried out the operation only in the evening. The post-mortem of the child pointed to death caused by prolonged labour.

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