Bhilwara: In a troubling continuation of events, two more women died at the state-run Mahatma Gandhi Hospital here following complications during childbirth, a development that hospital authorities kept under wraps for more than a day-and-a-half.Five women had died at the same facility earlier in July, with four of them suffering similar post-delivery complications.The latest deaths occurred Wednesday night, but the news broke only after the patients’ families spoke to reporters Friday morning.The two women were identified as Sugna Bairwa (22) from Datda village and Rani Banjara (18) from Patel Nagar, both of Bhilwara.Mahatma Gandhi Hospital principal medical officer Arun Gaur confirmed that both women had succumbed to severe medical complications following childbirth. Bhilwara chief medical and health officer (CMHO) Sanjeev Sharma said an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the two deaths was underway.Hospital authorities said Sugna was referred to the facility Wednesday evening after suffering excessive bleeding post-delivery at a satellite hospital in nearby Shahpura earlier in the day. Her condition was critical at the time of arrival, with dangerously low haemoglobin and platelet counts. Gaur said medical staff were unable to save her and she died due to complications stemming from excessive bleeding.In the second case, Rani, who gave birth to her first child through normal delivery, experienced severe complications shortly after. She developed severe postpartum haemorrhage (PPH), leading to bleeding and seizures, ultimately resulting in her death, hospital authorities said.The two deaths come on the heels of five earlier fatalities at the same hospital in the first fortnight of July.Following the public outrage over these deaths, health minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar had inspected the hospital and directed improvements while also ordering an inquiry, the findings of which remain undisclosed.Bhilwara district collector Jasmeet Singh Sandhu had instructed the hospital to set up a special ward aimed at enhancing treatment of critical maternity cases. At the state level, the Rajasthan health department had launched an intensive screening drive in July to identify high-risk pregnancies, assign dedicated medical workers and improve hospital emergency care.Despite these and multiple other initiatives, the health department appears to be struggling to contain incidences of maternal deaths at govt hospitals.
