A baby died in its mother’s womb at JNIMS hospital in Imphal on Monday night following which family members alleged medical negligence and demanded befitting action against the doctors and nurses who attended the patient.
The family members demanded suspension of the doctors and nurses who attended the patient alleging that she was kept unattended for about six hours even after she was admitted to the antenatal ward of the hospital on Monday afternoon.
Family members said, they will not accept the dead body of the infant until appropriate action is initiated against the erring doctors and nurses. Talking to reporters, Thuiloupou Gangmei, a resident of Khoupum Valley of Noney district, said that his daughter-in-law developed labour pain and expected delivery time was on Monday.
As advice by the doctors of the hospital who attended her during pregnancy, she was brought to the hospital on Monday afternoon. They reached the hospital around 1.30 pm and she was admitted to the ward around 2.30 pm.
While arranging the bed, his daughter-in cried of pain and they requested the doctors and nurses to attend to her.
The doctors on duty, however, convinced them it was normal in the case of the first delivery and left the ward saying that there was nothing to be worried about.
With the condition deteriorating further, they requested the nurses and doctors for treatment. However, none of them took the request seriously, Gangmei alleged. When bleeding started, they once again rushed to the doctors’ cabin and informed them of the condition of the patient.
At last, a lady doctor came and checked the patient’s condition around 6 pm. On her advice, she was taken to the labour room immediately. After a few minutes, the lady doctor informed them that the baby died in the mother’s womb, the expectant grandfather said.
Gangmei said that they have come from Khoupum which is around 100 km from Imphal with the hope of getting a quality medical treatment for delivery of the baby.
He alleged that the baby died in the mother’s womb due to negligence on the part of the nurses and doctors. Such medical negligence on the part of the staff of the biggest state-run hospital was never expected.
Authorities should take the matter seriously, he said demanding an investigation on the part of the higher authorities of the hospital.
Gangmei added that it was very unfortunate that the patient was kept unattended for more than six hours.
A complaint has been lodged to the higher authorities of the JNIMS hospital requesting a probe into the incident, he said.
If no appropriate action is initiated against the nurses and doctors who neglected their duties, the lifeless body of the infant will not be accepted, he reiterated.