Death of a mother or a child during childbirth is not rare, if not common in modern times. That can happen both during normal delivery and when it is done through Caesarian section, or in short, C-section. But it is not normal when both the mother and the newborn child die under the supervision of obstetricians following a C-section delivery, especially when the mother in question is in good health. So, the question arises as to what went wrong. And if there is room for confusion or lack of clarity over the reports emanating from the doctors on duty during the ill-fated C-section surgery, from hospital authorities and from the gynaecologist herself under whose supervision the expecting mother was being treated, then serious doubts arise about everything surrounding such gratuitous deaths and the hospital under scrutiny.
Two precious lives were lost to the clear negligence of those who were looked upon as saviours by both the victim(s) and their relatives. The child reportedly died immediately after its birth following the C-section on June 10, while the mother, a 25-year-old student of the Eden Girls College, died of surgery-related injuries eight days after the botched C-section delivery, at the ICU of another private hospital where she was later shifted. The health directorate's prompt action suspending the surgery and ICU services at the hospital where the avoidable tragedy took place is no doubt commendable. Two doctors who were reportedly present at the operation theatre were later arrested and sent to jail following a complaint lodged by the victim woman's husband with the law enforcement authority.
It is learnt that the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society of Bangladesh (OGSB), a professional body of doctors, protested the arrest and imprisonment of the two doctors allegedly to blame for the fatal C-section delivery. The professional body of doctors in question has of course its democratic right to protest against the procedure of the arrest and incarceration which has been made with unusual speed. So, questions remain if those thus taken into custody were given the opportunity to place their arguments in self-defence. But in any civilised society any citizen who feels he or she has been wronged can seek the intervention of the law whoever the defendant is. For private citizens, particularly from the broad commonalty, are mostly helpless before powerful quarters in any society and especially so in societies like ours where the culture of impunity prevails.
The unfortunate deaths of a mother and the child in a private hospital are not also the first of their kind. And few of such tragic incidents are reported in the media and get the due attention even after those are reported. In the case of people from the very underprivileged segment of society, they would not even dare to complain against doctors or a hospital if their female relatives die under similar circumstances. On the contrary, they would consider such deaths of their most beloved ones, even if it happens due to gross negligence of those responsible, as something fated. And in case they know what actually happened, who is going to listen to them, let alone receive a complaint?
The government's action following the media reports and filing of complaint with the police by the victim woman's husband should not be a one-off case. The law should be unforgiving in dealing with those whose laxity or inexperience lay behind the deaths of Ankhi and her newborn baby. At the same time, the health ministry should mount strong monitoring on the private and public hospitals as well as the community clinics to avoid similar tragedies in the future.
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
