Nanded tragedy: Mother who lost twins ‘didn’t even see their faces’

Sangita’s twins were among the 18 infants who died at the state-run hospital in three days since September 30. A total of 24 people, including 12 infants, died in the 24 hours between Sep 30 and Oct 1 at the tertiary care hospital.

Sangita, wife of Manoj Khairwar, a farmer from Manmad, was eight months and 22 days pregnant when she delivered their twins at a private hospital in Devloor Naka area on September 28. As the newborns required special care, the doctors advised the parents to take them to a bigger hospital.

Not getting an ambulance in time, Sangita’s family rushed the twins in an autorickshaw to a public hospital in Sham Nagar that refused to admit the infants, saying they did not have enough room to accommodate them.

Left with no option, the family rushed the infants to Dr Shankarao Chavan Government Medical College and Hospital the same day.

After two days of treatment, the twins died around 3 am and 8 am on Monday, Sangita’s mother Saraswati Nevhal said.

The hospital document states the two infants were 1.5 kilograms and 1.4 kilograms in weight and died of Pre-term Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

“After my delivery, my babies were rushed to the hospital as they were low on weight and needed treatment. I could not even take them in my arms or see their faces. After three days, my family informed me that they died at the hospital… I could only see their photos after their death,” said Sangita, inconsolable.

“My husband and I were very excited and happy, as doctors had told us that we were going to have twins. I had sold my mangalsutra and other ornaments for the treatment of my babies, but now I am left to live with this terrible truth of my life,” she sobbed.

Sangita’s brother Balaji said, “We had taken the infants to Vishnupur (Nanded) hospital because we had no money and no other option. But the two could not be saved.”

Sangita and Manoj have a three-year-old son, who was born at the same Dr Shankarao Chavan Government Medical College and Hospital during the lockdown.

“We had a bad experience then, so this time we decided to have the delivery at a private hospital. But destiny took my newborns to the same hospital,” says Sangita, yet to recover physically and emotionally.