SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir administration has recommended action against a doctor following the deaths of a pregnant woman and her baby in Gurez, Deputy Commissioner Bandipora Indu Kanwal Chib said on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters in Bandipora, Chib said a preliminary inquiry had been conducted and reports received from the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) had been forwarded to the Director of Health Services for further action.
The case involved a high-risk pregnancy, with the woman reportedly having a low-lying placenta and a haemoglobin level of five, the Deputy Commissioner said. According to medical information received by the administration, the baby had died in the womb before the woman was brought for treatment.
Chib also referred to a dispute between the woman and the doctors concerned. She said heavy snowfall around Razdan Pass and adverse weather had complicated the process of shifting the patient. An emergency services vehicle had reportedly met with an incident near Pir Baba, further affecting the transfer arrangements.
“The concerned doctor was responsible, and we conducted a preliminary inquiry,” Chib said, adding that the findings and a proposal for action had been submitted to the Director of Health Services.
She said she had also spoken to the Director of Health Services about the matter and that the administration had taken up residents’ demands for an inquiry and action against the doctor.
The Deputy Commissioner said arrangements were being made ahead of winter to ensure that pregnant women classified as high-risk could be transferred in time to facilities providing specialised care. She said similar preparedness measures had been undertaken previously and were being renewed to prevent such incidents.
On assistance to the bereaved family, Chib said financial compensation could not make up for the loss of a mother and her baby. However, she confirmed that support had been provided to the family through the Red Cross.
Meanwhile, markets in Dawar, the main town of Gurez, remained closed on Wednesday as residents protested over the deaths of Haseen Bagem, wife of Showket Hameed Lone, and her baby. Protesters alleged that the critically ill woman had not been shifted to District Hospital Bandipora in time because of heavy snowfall around Razdan Pass.
Bagem, a resident of Mazgund village in Tulail, was initially taken to a local health facility and subsequently referred to Sub-District Hospital Gurez. Doctors later advised that she be transferred to Bandipora for further treatment because of her critical condition and low haemoglobin level.
The circumstances surrounding the deaths and the allegations against the doctor remain subject to the inquiry and further action by the health authorities.
