Mumbai: Kin allege woman, child died waiting in labour room

Vijay Pathak (in khaki), the husband of Kiran Pathak, looks on as her body is taken to Rajawadi Hospital for a post-mortem

A 40-year-old man has accused the civic-run Khan Bahadur Bhabha Hospital of negligence after his eight-month pregnant wife, 35, died on Thursday morning. According to the husband, Vijay Pathak, the staff of the hospital, which is located at Kurla West, did not attend to his wife, Kiran, resulting in her death.

Civic body sources, however, claimed her haemoglobin was low and she was battling with a life-threatening ailment, which brought about her deterioration. The sources claimed the woman had been undergoing treatment for a condition at Sion hospital for two months.

The Kurla police, meanwhile, have registered an accidental death report (ADR) in connection with the incident. Kiran was rushed to the hospital around 7 am after she complained of stomach pain. She was taken to the labour room but died about two hours from the time she reached the hospital.

Kiran Pathak, the deceased

Mahendra Pathak, Vijay's younger brother, told mid-day, "In the early hours of Thursday, my bhabhi experienced labour pains. My elder brother called me, asking me to help take her to the hospital. She was rushed to the labour room, but there was no one there to look after her. Finally, after an hour, she came out and told me she was not being attended to. We ran from pillar to post, but there was no one to help us."

Also Read: Mumbai Crime: Victim's sandal helps cops crack tough murder case

An inconsolable Vijay said, "Had they seen to my wife in time, she would have been alive today. In fact, when she told me no one was attending to her, we were thinking of shifting her, but she collapsed. At the time, a security guard remarked, ‘Woh natak kar rahi hai (she is being melodramatic)'. This is the kind of treatment they give to poor persons."

Kiran and Vijay Pathak

Vijay is a contractor by profession and has three daughters. According to the family, the children were delivered at the same hospital. Kiran's body has been sent to Rajawadi Hospital for a post-mortem. Ravindra Howale, senior inspector at Kurla police station, said, "The husband approached us on Thursday morning alleging negligence on the part of the doctors. We have registered his statement and filed an ADR. We are awaiting the post-mortem note from the hospital and will take action accordingly."

Sanjay Kurhade, deputy municipal commissioner (public health), said, "The deceased's family has made some serious allegations. We have launched a probe to find the facts. We will also take the post-mortem report into consideration."

35
Age of the deceased