Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC) has initiated strong action against the health officers of the Molgi village, Nandurbar, after a 24 year old woman, died post delivering her child in an unattended ambulance. The commission in its orders have directed the Medical Officer who had treated the deceased in the Rural Hospital Molgi, to submit their say in defence of the alleged negligence and the dereliction of duty committed by them in regard with the patient, leading to her unfortunate death in ambulance. A complaint was filed in the case, after a news report about the alleged negligence was published in a local vernacular newspaper in March 2024.
As per the complaint copy, there was allegedly a lack of seriousness shown to the medical conditions of the pregnant woman, who had experienced sudden labour pain. According to the report, Kavita Raut, a resident of Bardi in Akralkuwa taluka, had received antenatal care in accordance with standard guidelines, including two sonography examinations and routine medical check-ups. On the evening of February 14, 2024, she experienced sudden labour pain. Her family attempted to contact the local Primary Health Centre for an ambulance, but no one responded. With no other choice, they transported her in a public vehicle to PHC Pimpalkhuta, where on-duty nurse Priyanka Vasave discovered that her blood pressure was dangerously high at 170/121 mmHg and that she was on the verge of delivery. As it was her first pregnancy, the nurse initiated primary treatment and referred her to Rural Hospital, Molgi.
However, while being transported in a 102 ambulance service vehicle, the ambulance broke down just six kilometres into the journey. Unfortunately and surprisingly no medical staff accompanied her during the transfer, leaving the woman entirely dependent on her family. Kavita delivered her child in the ambulance itself, in the presence of her family but without any professional medical assistance. Further a second ambulance was later called from Rural Hospital Molgi, and the woman was eventually taken there and treated. Given her critical condition, she was then referred to the District General Hospital in Nandurbar, again without any medical attendant of staff. Between 3:30 am and 4:00 am on February 15, 2024, while being transported to the district hospital, she died in the ambulance. She was declared dead on arrival by the District General hospital.
After the alleged incident was reported in newspaper, a district-level inquiry committee was constituted to investigate the matter. Based on its findings, Dr. AshokGaikwad was transferred for negligence, while Health Assistant Sunanda Valvi and Health Worker Seema Nagare were issued show-cause notices for dereliction of duty. The committee concluded that critical protocols were ignored, and that both PHC Pimpalkhuta and Rural Hospital Molgi failed to ensure that a trained medical professional accompanied the patient during emergency transfers.
The Commission after going through the complaint, observed that the woman had been repeatedly left without medical support during life-threatening situations. It noted that even after she was treated at Rural Hospital Molgi and referred to the district hospital, no medical staff accompanied her in the ambulance, despite her critical condition, thus amounted to gross negligence and a violation of the patient’s basic right to life and dignity, leaving her “to her fate” at a time when she required the highest degree of medical attention.
Along with summoning the negligent officers, the Commission has also directed that notices be issued to the victim’s family, along with all relevant case documents, allowing them an opportunity to submit their statements. The Superintendent of Police, Nandurbar, has been instructed to ensure that the notice is served to the family and that proof of service is submitted to the Commission. The matter has been adjourned to November 27.
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