Shillong, Sept 24: The mother of the baby, delivered and died in a toilet in Nongpoh Civil Hospital, was only under five months pregnant and had suffered from pregnancy complications, said health minister Ampareen Lyngdoh on Monday.
Denying any medical negligence on the hospital’s part, the minister said, “After receiving the report of the child’s death, the first thing I did was to appoint a senior officer at the rank of Joint Director to gather all relevant information and brief me on the matter.”
“The mother, a patient from Umden, was initially treated at Umden Primary Health Centre. Given the complexity of her condition — she was approximately 19 weeks pregnant, which is under five months — she was referred to Nongpoh Civil Hospital,” she added.
Meanwhile, an allegation that no ambulance was available at Umden Centre is being investigated and the report is awaited, according to the minister.
Giving details of the incident, Lyngdoh said, the patient arrived at Nongpoh Civil Hospital around 3 am and she was attended to by both the on-duty doctor and the gynaecologist.
“She was given necessary medication and later asked to use the toilet, where she was accompanied by her husband. Tragically, she experienced a spontaneous abortion during this time,” Lyngdoh said.
Offering her condolences to the family, she said, “The foetus was under five months, making it highly unlikely that the baby could have survived. While we deeply sympathize with the family’s loss, it’s incorrect to frame this as a case of negligence.”
A fact-finding committee formed in this regard already visited the hospital and a report will be submitted soon.
