Two doctors booked after 4 women suffer kidney failure post child birth, 2 die

The two doctors and management officials of Health Plus Hospital were booked under sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 308 (attempting culpable homicide) and 114 (abettor present when offence is committed) of the Indian Penal Code.

In his complaint, Akash alleged that his wife Hiral was among the four women who had given birth through caesarean section at the hospital last May and contracted infection, leading to kidney failure. While Hiral gave birth on May 30, the other deceased, Harshita Balas from Zinzri village in Junagadh district, also gave birth around the same time.

The FIR stated that after Hiral’s death on September 12, last year, Akash filed a complaint at C Division police station in Junagadh. The police went on to launch an inquiry after registering a case of accidental death on September 13.

On September 29, Akash, a Dalit who works as a casual labourer, and the husband of three other women who suffered kidney failure, filed an application with Junagadh Chief District Health Officer (CDHO) Dr Manoj Sutariya, demanding action against Health Plus Hospital.

Following this, the state government formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the matter. Eventually, in May this year, the CDHO handed over a copy of the SIT report to Akash.

The FIR quoted Akash as saying, “The report concluded that the incident (of kidney failure) had happened due to negligence of doctors and hospital management.”

Junagadh Superintendent of Police Harshad Mehta told The Indian Express that the victims’ families had approached the police earlier as well, seeking an FIR against the doctors and the hospital.

“However, as per Supreme Court guidelines, police can’t register an FIR against doctors on the basis of a complaint filed by a patient’s family members alleging negligence during treatment. But now that an SIT of experts has probed the incident and submitted its findings, we have booked the doctors and the members of the hospital management,” he added.