A woman, who was eight months pregnant, succumbed to jaundice at BYL Nair Hospital at Mumbai Central on Wednesday morning.
The family alleged that Pritisha Chauhan (24) died due to medical negligence of the staff at Kasturba and Nair Hospitals. Chauhan, a resident of Bhoiwada, had been
in Kasturba Hospital in Chinchpokli since Saturday.
She was suffering from Hepatitis E, a potentially fatal liver condition. She was transferred to Nair Hospital on Wednesday after her condition deteriorated and was declared dead 45 minutes later.
Chauhan’s husband Chetan alleged that the doctor waited till “she started sinking” to transfer her to Kasturba.
“The lady doctor from Nair, who had been treating her at Kasturba, knew that she had jaundice but still did not transfer her. She started experiencing labour pains at 8.30 pm but the doctor decided to keep her there. It was only when she became breathless, started bleeding and her blood pressure dipped that she made arrangements for the transfer,” he said.
Chetan claimed Pritisha was put on ventilator only when she reached Nair because the ambulance was not equipped with an oxygen cylinder. He said he would file a complaint against the hospitals soon.
Kasturba’s medical superintendent Dr Umesh Haigal said they would figure out what had gone wrong only “after investigation was completed.”
Nair Hospital authorities refuted allegations of negligence. Sources said the preliminary post-mortem report said she died of liver failure.
Medical experts said in up to 90 per cent cases, pregnant women are likely to succumb to the Hepatitis E infection.
“Pregnancy reduces the immunity. But if affected with this particular virus chances of surviving the infection are very low,” said Dr Khusrav Bajan, head of emergency services at PD Hinduja Hospital.