A tragic incident has come to light in Sonbhadra district, where a 30-year-old ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) worker lost her life after a quack allegedly performed a Caesarean section on her at a hospital that had already been sealed by authorities. The botched surgery took place at the Global Hospital and Surgical Centre located at Devatan Crossing under the Kone police station limits on Saturday. According to reports, the accused and his associates fled the scene without even stitching her abdomen after the operation. However, the newborn baby boy survived.
Hospital Sealed Multiple Times
Sonbhadra's Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. P.K. Rai confirmed that the Global Hospital and Surgical Centre had been sealed three times previously, including on March 20. Following the incident, a joint team from the health department, district administration, and police sealed the facility once again. The authorities have lodged a named First Information Report (FIR) at the Kone police station against the hospital operators, identified as Naseem and Salma. They have been booked under charges including culpable homicide amounting to murder, aggravated cheating and dishonest inducement, along with provisions of the National Medical Commission (NMC) Act.
Action Taken Against Ambulance Driver
Dr. Rai further stated that the services of the ambulance driver, who allegedly transported the ASHA worker to the private facility instead of a government hospital, have been terminated. Action has also been taken against the medical transport (MT) operator. Sonbhadra Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhishek Verma informed that after the victim's body was sent for postmortem, multiple police teams have been deployed to trace and arrest the accused. The police have announced a cash reward of Rs 25,000 for information leading to the arrest of Naseem and Rs 10,000 for Salma. The SP emphasized that exemplary action would be taken against the accused for allegedly continuing to operate the hospital despite repeated sealing by authorities.
Family's Account of the Incident
According to the victim's family, Seema Devi, an ASHA worker from Singa Bagesoti village and mother of four daughters, was taken to the Kachanrawa Primary Health Centre late Friday night after she went into labor. The family alleged that the auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) on duty informed them that Seema required an immediate C-section. When the family expressed concern about arranging treatment at such a late hour, they were allegedly directed to Naseem's hospital. Seema was then transported to the private facility in a government ambulance. Her family claimed that upon arrival, hospital staff obtained their signatures on several documents and demanded a deposit of Rs 50,000 before admitting her. She subsequently underwent a C-section and gave birth to a baby boy.
Joy Turns to Grief
The family initially celebrated the birth of their long-awaited son. However, their joy soon turned into grief when Seema allegedly died shortly after the surgery. Family members alleged that those who performed the operation fled without suturing her surgical wound, reportedly saying they were going to arrange an ambulance. The SP said an investigation has been launched to determine how the hospital continued to function despite being sealed multiple times by the authorities.
