Case of Medical Negligence in Krishnagiri District

Incident Overview

A case of medical negligence has emerged in Krishnagiri District, Tamil Nadu, following the intrauterine fetal demise (IUFD) of twin babies. This incident has led to the transfer of a doctor and a nurse from the Urigam Primary Health Centre (PHC). The case centers around a 23-year-old pregnant woman from a nearby tribal village who delivered twin IUFD babies at the Government Krishnagiri Medical College Hospital (GKMCH). Her husband has accused the primary health centre of contributing to the fetal deaths, a claim that the medical staff has denied.

Background of the Patient

According to The New Indian Express, the woman from Muthikarai village had been receiving consistent care at the Urigam PHC. The couple, who also have a five-year-old daughter, reported that the woman had previously been hospitalized at GKMCH for ten days in January due to complications related to her pregnancy.

Sequence of Events

The woman’s husband recounted the events leading up to the tragedy, stating, “Last month, owing to health complications, she took treatment at the GKMCH for 10 days, and a doctor at the GKMCH asked Susheela to come after 10 days with the scan report.” He explained that on a recent visit to Urigam PHC, they were informed that a C-section was necessary, but the doctor was unavailable that day, prompting them to return the following day. On Tuesday, when they arrived at the PHC, they were referred back to GKMCH. He noted, “Before getting into the ambulance, both babies had a fetal heart rate, but when they reached GKMCH, health staff declared the babies dead.”

Medical Responses

In response to the allegations, Dr. Chandrasekar, Superintendent of GKMCH, stated, “There is no negligence from the GKMCH. When they arrived here, the babies did not have a fetal heart rate. They could have died on the way.” He emphasized the need for a postmortem to determine the exact timing of the deaths.

Similarly, the medical officer at Urigam PHC denied any wrongdoing. The officer explained, “On Monday, I went through Susheela’s scan report and directed them to meet an obstetrician and gynecologist. Though the scan report was normal, the mother was at high risk.”

Investigation and Consequences

In light of the allegations, the district health administration formed a special inquiry team, which included the District Maternal and Child Health Officer, a district pediatrician, and an obstetrician and gynecologist. The team submitted its findings to Krishnagiri District Collector C. Dinesh Kumar. Subsequently, the medical officer from Urigam PHC was transferred to Hosur block, and the staff nurse was moved to Uthangarai block.

Further Findings

Dr. G. Ramesh Kumar, the District Health Officer, confirmed that the inquiry report had been forwarded to the collector. Deputy Director of Family Welfare Dr. Bharathi identified several procedural issues, including the failure to check fetal heart rate (FHR) at the PHC before referral and inaccuracies in the referral documentation. She noted that medical assessments indicated fetal demise occurred hours before the official declaration at GKMCH.

Broader Investigation Initiated

Collector C. Dinesh Kumar announced a more extensive investigation involving the medical college, family welfare department, ‘108’ ambulance services, and the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine to determine the cause of death and assign accountability. The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) has criticized the management of the case and has called for timely postmortem examinations.