Another maternal death in Jodhpur hospital, toll rises to 16

With a 25-year-old woman dying today, the number of maternal deaths allegedly due administration of contaminated IV fluid in two government hospitals here rose to 16.

A complaint has been registered against the doctors for alleged negligence by the family members of Sagar Kanwar, who died in MG Hospital, said the police.

Kanwar, who hailed from Pali district, was admitted to Umaid Hospital on February 10 and gave birth to a baby boy on February 21 through cesarean section.

But her condition worsened after that and she was shifted to the ICU of MG Hospital.

"She was continuously on life support system here and succumbed on Monday morning on account of multiple-organ failure," said Arvind Mathur, superintendent of MG Hospital.

According to district administration and hospitals, no other patient is undergoing treatment for administration of contaminated IV fluid.

"The list initially contained 18 women who had come to the hospital between February 8-22 but two of them had recovered and were discharged," said district collector Sidhharth Mahajan.

"We are saying this on the basis that the consignment in question had entered the hospital on February 8 and was banned on February 22," he said.

"All these women developed complications during this period allegedly due to administration of that particular fluid," he said.

"Families of all these 16 women are entitled to compensation announced by the government," he said.

State government had announced a compensation of Rs5 lakh for the next of the kin of the victims.

Meanwhile, the report of the samples sent to the Central Drug Laboratory, Kolkata is expected to be submitted in the next two days.

Further course of action will be decided only after the report is submitted, officials said.