Death of pregnant women: Deceased administered sub-standard injections

Over a month after the death of three pregnant women at the Mother and Child Hospital (MCH), the health department has got to know that the quality of oxytocin injections, which was used by the doctors, is not up to the mark.

Over a month after the death of three pregnant women at the Mother and Child Hospital (MCH), the health department has got to know that the quality of oxytocin injections, which was used by the doctors, is not up to the mark.

But the actual reason behind the deaths will be ascertained once the inquiry being conducted by three senior doctors of the state gets completed.

After the deaths, the officials had sent 13 samples of almost all the medicines, used earlier at the hospital, for lab tests. The report suggests that the drug is of poor quality.

It may be recalled that three women had died at the MCH on November 30, December 1 and 2, following which an inquiry was marked by the health department. The samples were sent to a laboratory in Chandigarh.

Of the 13 samples, questions have been raised only on oxytocin which is used to increase the labour pain among the pregnant women.

Drug inspector Roopreet Kaur said, “The sample of oxytocin has failed. The report states that it was sub-standard. The rest of the 12 samples, including IV fluid, have passed the quality test.”

With this, questions are being raised on the health department as well as the company from which the medicine was purchased.

The inquiry into the deaths goes on. The delay in the receipt of sample report is the major reason behind the delay in the inquiry.

Oxytocin is used to increase the labour pain among the women whose pregnancy goes beyond nine months.

The health department had drawn three samples each of antibiotics, IV fluid, disposable syringes, one each of metrogyl, oxytocin and an injection.

It is worth mentioning here that a woman, Sujata, had died on November 30 at Christian Medical College after she was referred from the MCH due to her deteriorating condition. Another woman, Hira Moti, had died on December 1. Her death sparked a protest by her family. Next day, another woman, Amrita, too had lost her life.