Assembly panel seeks action into death of pregnant woman at Dangar PHC

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 7, 2021

The Assembly’s Women Empowerment Committee on Monday demanded the state government to institute an inquiry into the death of a young pregnant woman due to alleged negligence of the doctor and nurses on duty.

The incident took place at the Dangar primary health centre (PHC) on June 5.

At the same time, the Committee has also sought the immediate removal of the NGO (VHAM), which is currently running the PHC, for its alleged failure to provide adequate health care services.

In a letter to the state health minister AL Hek, member of the Assembly Committee and Congress legislator from Mawsynram Himalaya M Shangpliang said, “In view of the above, I would to request you through the Women Empowerment Committee to kindly direct the government to institute an inquiry into the tragic incident which resulted in the loss of a precious life due to negligence and careless attitude of the doctor and the nurses on duty.

The medical team on duty on the fateful night should be held accountable and responsibilities should be fixed. The guilty should be punished as per law.”

He said the government should also be asked to remove the NGO (VHAM) that is running the PHC due to lots of public complaints, shortcomings in providing adequate health services and non-compliance of the terms of references as entered between the NHM and the NGO.

“Therefore, either a separate NGO with a sound performance background is brought or the health department has to take over the PHC again,” Shangpliang said while also demanding the government to provide necessary ex-gratia assistance to the family of the deceased who died due to negligence of the medical authorities of the Dangar PHC.

On June 5, Shanpliang along with the Block Development Officer of Mawsynram Block and other officials had visited Dangar to inquire into the incident.

He said the doctor who was on duty that fateful night reported that the pregnant woman by the name of Muny R Marak aged 28 years was brought to the PHC around 11 pm.

She was duly examined and the doctor observed that she was not due yet for delivery. The pregnant woman was kept in the normal ward although she was in labour pain throughout the night.

The MLA also said it was reported by the relatives of the woman who were attending to her in the PHC that at 5 am, they went to look for the doctor and the nurses but were informed that they had all gone to their residences.

Meanwhile, the pregnant woman who was in severe labour pain delivered the baby on her own without the help of the medical team, he alleged adding by the time, the doctor and the nurses arrived it was too late and could not handle the complications that occurred due to the rupture of the placenta and other related issues. The woman was already weak due to excessive bleeding.

Shangpliang further alleged that the woman was never taken to the operation theatre for resuscitation, rather, when the doctor saw the condition of the woman deteriorating, he referred her to the Mawsynram CHC but the woman breathed her last on the way to Shillong.