Karnataka woman, 28, dies day after C-section delivery, family alleges medical negligence

There have been over 3,350 maternal deaths in the last five years in Karnataka, the Chief Minister's Office said.

Updated on: Dec 23, 2024, 10:31:22 IST

By HT News Desk

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A woman from Belagavi district, Karnataka, died at the district hospital (BIMS) on Sunday, just a day after delivering a baby girl via C-section.

Her family has alleged that medical negligence led to her death, as reported by Deccan Herald.

Vaishali Kotabagi, the 28-year-old mother, was admitted to the labour ward at BIMS on Saturday and successfully delivered her child, the report added. According to her mother-in-law, Eravva, Vaishali’s condition was stable until Sunday morning. However, around 7 am, Vaishali began complaining of chest pain, which rapidly worsened. She was immediately transferred to the ICU, but her condition continued to deteriorate.

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In response to the allegations, Dr. Ashok Kumar Shetty, the director of BIMS, told Deccan Herald that Vaishali’s condition remained stable up until Sunday morning. He confirmed that the attending doctors treated her for chest pain and made every effort to save her life. He attributed her death to heart-related complications, rather than medical negligence.

Dr. Shetty assured that an internal investigation would be conducted following the complaint from Vaishali’s family, the report added.

Over 3000 maternal deaths in past five years

There have been over 3,350 maternal deaths in the last five years in Karnataka, the Chief Minister's Office said on Monday. The fatalities have been on the decline during this period, according to data issued by the government.

The CMO's releasing the data comes in the wake of a controversy surrounding the recent maternal deaths in the state's Ballari district.

The total number of maternal deaths in the past five years stands at 3,364. An analysis of the data reveals the highest number of maternal deaths occurred during Covid-19 when the BJP was in power.

In 2019-2020, 662 maternal deaths were reported, with the number rising slightly to 714 the following year. However, the figures have since dropped, with 595 deaths recorded in 2021-2022, 527 in 2022-2023, and 518 in 2023-2024.

As of November 2024, the number of maternal deaths in the state stands at 348. Karnataka's Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) during this period stands at 64 per one lakh live births, according to the data.

On Sunday, the Karnataka government established a four-member panel to investigate the maternal deaths at Ballari Hospital and other locations across the state.

(Also Read: Non-vegetarian food distribution sparks row at Kannada Sahitya Sammelana in Mandya)

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