A 35-year-old woman undergoing infertility treatment died shortly after a sonography-guided procedure at a private hospital in Bhiwandi, prompting allegations of medical negligence from her family. The deceased, identified as Firoza Ramzan Shaikh, was a resident of Ahilyanagar but had been staying with relatives in the Nadi Naka area of Bhiwandi for the past two months to pursue treatment. She had been married for four years.
Incident Details
According to relatives, Firoza was looking forward to her younger sister's wedding scheduled for June 6 and celebrating Bakra Id with her family. She was undergoing treatment at a private hospital, where the doctor referred her to another private facility for the sonography procedure. On Wednesday afternoon, Firoza, accompanied by her younger sister Sumaiya Khatik, visited the sonography centre. Before the procedure, doctors instructed them to purchase certain medicines and injections from a nearby medical store.
During infertility treatment, sonography-guided procedures are commonly used to retrieve eggs or aspirate or drain ovarian cysts to correct hormonal imbalances. Women are typically given mild sedation or local anaesthesia to alleviate pain. Sumaiya alleged that within minutes of administering the injection, her sister was taken for the procedure, and her condition worsened soon after. When she asked for an explanation, the family was pushed outside and given no information.
Allegations of Concealment
Sumaiya further alleged that Firoza became unconscious immediately after receiving the injection and may have died around 2 pm. However, hospital authorities allegedly concealed her condition for several hours while assuring the family that she was alive. Several doctors were called in, and Firoza was placed on ventilator support. The family also claimed that the hospital pressured them to sign certain documents, but they refused. Firoza was declared dead around 3 am on Thursday, nearly 12 hours after the procedure, according to relatives.
Police Action
Based on the family's complaint, Shantinagar police registered an accidental death report. Senior police inspector Vinayak Gaikwad stated that hospital doctors cited a heart attack as the preliminary cause of death. The body has been sent to the government-run IGM Hospital in Bhiwandi for a post-mortem examination. Police said the civil surgeon's office will assist in the investigation. Further action will be taken based on the post-mortem report and the civil surgeon's findings, Gaikwad added.
Family Accusations
The family also accused the hospital of attempting to shield the female doctor who conducted the procedure. They claimed she left the hospital premises after the procedure and that staff refused to disclose her identity. Several attempts to contact the hospital authorities were unsuccessful.
