Ahmedabad
Mirror: Ahmedabad: Friday, 17 October 2014.
Himesh
Vankar, who has been differently abled since birth, forgot all his struggles
when he held his baby daughter in his arms for the first time. But his
happiness did not last long. The Himmatnagar resident slid down the pinnacle of
joy into the depths of despair 20 days later, when his wife Ganga died of
septicaemia caused by a surgical swab allegedly forgotten inside her by doctors
at Civil hospital. Eight months later, the 30-year-old - a tailor by profession
- is now struggling to prove that his wife died of medical negligence. He filed
seven applications under the Right to Information Act (RTI), seeking details of
post-delivery care taken by Civil doctors. In reply, every time, the hospital
handed over reports for the first day of delivery only.
Vankar then
wrote to the Gujarat Medical Council seeking action against the hospital, but
is still waiting for a reply. "My wife was differently abled, too. I
brought Ganga to Civil hospital because I thought doctors at this reputed
hospital could handle any complications that could arise during delivery due to
her physical condition. But their negligence robbed my child of a mother,"
he said, rocking his daughter Gunjan in his arms.
INFECTION
SPREADS
Doctors had
to resort to forceps delivery in Ganga's case. In aforceps delivery, a doctor
applies forceps an instrument shaped
like a pair of large spoons or salad tongs to the baby's head to help guide it
out of the birth canal. Many a time, doctors make a surgical cut (episiotomy)
to avoid vaginal tear, widen the passage and make the birth easier. Following
delivery, doctor stitches up the cut. Gynaecologist Jayesh Amin said, "We
use swabs to staunch the blood flow and remove it two hours later. If the blood
flow is extreme, we may even keep it for 24 hours but never longer than
that."
However, in
Ganga's case, doctors allegedly goofed up the post-delivery checkup and the pad
was never removed. "After coming home, the 23-year-old began complaining
of pain in the vaginal area. Her health began to deteriorate," said
Vankar. Ganga was finally admitted to Sir Pratap General Hospital in
Himmatnagar on February 9 where Dr Bhamini Babulal Pandit operated on her. As
per her note on the medical reports, Dr Pandit stated that she removed a 'pad kept
at episiotomy wound' operated in Ahmedabad nine days ago. Eleven days later,
Ganga died of septicaemia after bacteria from the infection poisoned her blood.
NO RTI
REPLY
Dr Amin says,
"Twenty-four hours after delivery, a mother's health has to be scrutinised
and a report of her condition has to be maintained without fail." Vankar
filed seven applications under RTI, seeking Ganga's report made on second day
of her delivery. Each time, the hospital handed him only the first day report,
raising questions about doctors' negligence. "Had they checked my wife the
second day, they would have discovered the pad. They cannot produce the report
because they never made one," said Vankar. Fed up of being stalled, Vankar
wrote to GMC on August 8, seeking action against the hospital.
He never
received a reply. When Mirror contacted GMC President Nitin S Vora, he said,
"The man should first lodge a complaint with Civil hospital. If the hospital
does not take action, it should be diverted to GMC for probe." He added,
"We do not have the infrastructure to carry out detailed investigation in
every case. We meet once in 2 or 3 months to discuss all cases." Medical
Superintendent (Civil Hospital) M M Prabhakar said he was not aware of the case
and refused to make any further comment. Meanwhile, Vankar fights on so that
doctors are more careful in future when attending to patients in order to
prevent another such death.
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