3 min readHyderabadMay 7, 2025 07:49 AM IST
First published on: May 6, 2025 at 01:14 PM IST
A private hospital in Telangana’s Ibrahimpatnam was sealed, and a gynaecologist and two nurses were booked for medical negligence Monday after an alleged botched-up procedure on a five-month pregnant woman resulted in the stillbirth of twin babies Sunday.
In the absence of a doctor, the initial treatment of the woman was allegedly administered by two nurses at Vijayalaxmi Hospital following telephonic instructions from the doctor. The family members of the aggrieved couple staged a protest outside the hospital, demanding justice.
The Ibrahimpatnam police filed a case under sections 106(1) [Causing death by negligence by registered medical practitioner] and 3(5) [joint criminal liability] of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and are awaiting legal opinion for the arrest of the accused.
I Jagadeesh, Station House Officer, said the investigation is in progress and action will be taken after receiving the report from Ranga Reddy District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) B Venkateswar Rao, who visited the hospital Monday before sealing it.
“We have booked the doctor and two nurses under section for causing death by negligence. We will arrest the accused after taking legal opinion and the DMHO’s report,” the SHO said.
According to the police, Butti Keerthi, 26 and husband Butti Ganesh, 36, have been trying for a child for the last seven years and were under in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment. Keerthi was conceived through IVF in January under the guidance of Dr V Anusha Reddy, a gynaecologist at Vijayalaxmi Hospital.
In his complaint, Ganesh said the doctor performed a scan and confirmed a twin pregnancy and prescribed daily medication. Following this, Keerthi visited Vijayalaxmi Hospital approximately two to three times monthly, he said. In mid-April, 20 days prior to the fetal loss, Dr Reddy allegedly performed a cervical cerclage (stitch) on Keerthi to prevent fetal descent.
Following this procedure, Keerthi allegedly experienced persistent stomach pain and bleeding. On Sunday, around 4 am, Ganesh contacted Dr Reddy regarding his wife’s condition. The doctor allegedly advised administering tablets and injections. Despite following this advice, Keerthi’s pain persisted, he said.
The complainant said he admitted his wife to Vijayalaxmi Hospital subsequently. Upon arriving at the hospital, they found Dr Reddy was absent and two nurses allegedly took instructions from the doctor over the phone to treat the woman.
At around 9 am, Keerthi experienced severe pain and heavy bleeding, he said. A couple of hours later, she expelled the two premature male fetuses.
DMHO B Venkateswar Rao, when contacted, said a thorough inquiry will be conducted. “When the patient went to the hospital, the doctor was not available. The doctor says she admitted the patient on humanitarian grounds because if she had referred the patient to another hospital, it may have endangered the life of the woman, too, besides expelling the fetus,” Rao said.
“The doctor admitted the woman and, over video call, she conducted an examination and explained the treatment (to the nurses). However, the pain and symptoms were not relieved. The doctor tried to continue the pregnancy, but it failed. The stitch was ruptured and fetuses, 18 weeks old, were expelled,” the DMHO said, adding that the doctor should have either been present or referred the woman to another hospital.
“We will conduct a detailed enquiry and take action,” he added.
A private hospital in Telangana’s Ibrahimpatnam was sealed over medical negligence on Monday. (File)
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