Srinagar, Oct 15 (IANS)Action has been recommended against a doctor after a preliminary inquiry into the death of a pregnant woman and the baby in the border area of Gurez in J&K’s Bandipora district, officials said on Thursday.
Deputy Commissioner Bandipora, Indu Kanwal, said that a preliminary inquiry had been conducted into the deaths of Haseen Begam, wife of Showket Hameed Lone, and her baby, and a proposal for action against the doctor concerned had been submitted to the Director, Health Services.
Addressing the media, she said the administration was deeply saddened by the deaths and that reports obtained from the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) had been forwarded to the Director, Health Services for necessary action.
The case involved a high-risk pregnancy, with the woman reportedly having a low-lying placenta and a haemoglobin level of five, she added.
According to the medical information received by the administration, the baby had already died in the womb when the woman was brought for treatment. The Deputy Commissioner said there had also been a dispute between the woman and the doctors concerned.
Kanwal said that heavy snowfall around Razdan Pass and adverse weather conditions had made shifting the patient difficult, particularly after a vehicle belonging to the emergency services reportedly met with an incident near Pir Baba.
Reports from the CMO and SDM had been submitted to the Director Health Services, as the matter required action at that level.
Regarding preventive measures for the coming winter, the administration has made arrangements to ensure that high-risk pregnant women could be shifted in time for specialised medical care.
On compensation to the bereaved family, the Deputy Commissioner said that no financial assistance could compensate for the loss of a mother and her baby. However, assistance had been provided to the family through the Red Cross.
Meanwhile, markets in Dawar, the main town of Gurez, remained shut on Wednesday as residents staged protests over the deaths, alleging a delay in shifting the critically ill woman to District Hospital Bandipora amid heavy snowfall around Razdan Pass.
Haseen Begam, a resident of Mazgund village in Tulail, was taken to a local health facility before being referred to Sub-District Hospital Gurez. Doctors subsequently advised her transfer to Bandipora for further treatment due to her critical condition and low haemoglobin levels.
Many border areas in Bandipora, Kupwara and Baramulla districts of the Valley receive heavy snowfall during the winter months, and critical healthcare to patients poses a major challenge in these areas.
–IANS
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