A 20-year-old pregnant woman died at the government-run New Medical College Hospital (NMCH) in Kota on Sunday, bringing the total number of women who have died in Kota government hospitals over the past fortnight to five. Most of the deceased exhibited symptoms such as kidney failure and urinary blockage, which experts indicate are likely linked to a hospital-acquired infection.
Shireen's Case
Shireen, who was five months pregnant, was admitted to NMCH on May 6 for a minor uterine procedure. Her condition worsened the following day, with her family reporting a urinary blockage and signs consistent with a kidney infection. Family members alleged that NMCH doctors pressured them to transfer her to a private hospital after her condition deteriorated. "It was Shireen's first pregnancy, and to save her life, the family spent Rs 4 lakh on medicine at a private hospital," Shireen's uncle Mohammed Azaj told TOI on Sunday. The family moved her back to NMCH on Saturday, where she died around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Azaj said, alleging that hospital staff had forced the earlier transfer.
Hospital Response
NMCH additional principal Dr. RP Meena confirmed that Shireen was brought back from a private hospital on Saturday. "She was brought here in a critical condition and put on a ventilator. She died Sunday afternoon," he said. Meena added that Shireen had undergone a minor uterine procedure at NMCH and was referred out "on her family's demand" to a facility of their choice. Her body was handed over to the police, he said. "The condition of five other postnatal women currently under treatment at the hospital is stable, with all of them showing signs of improvement," he added.
Series of Deaths
Shireen's death follows four similar deaths reported from Kota's government hospitals since May 5, after which the condition of six women who had undergone C-section deliveries at NMCH's gynecology ward deteriorated suddenly. The first, Payal (26), died the same day, while Jyoti Nayak (19) died on May 7. Two more women died later after developing similar complications: Priya Mahawar (22), who died at J K Lon Hospital on the night of May 9-10, and Pinki Mahawar (30), referred to NMCH from J K Lon, who died in NMCH's SSB on the night of May 11-12.
Infection Concerns
Hospital sources said the pattern of kidney failures and urinary blockages seen in these cases suggests the deaths are more likely tied to infections contracted during the admission procedure rather than the C-sections themselves. The recurring symptoms point to a possible nosocomial infection, raising serious concerns about hygiene and infection control protocols at the facility.
