Punjab: Mother and child die during childbirth allegedly performed over video call by hosp staff

Other than Uttarakhand and West Bengal, Punjab is the only state to have recorded a 'high' MMR with 114 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births across the state between the years 2017 and 2019.

Mansa(Punjab): The death of a pregnant woman and her baby during labor at the Jacha Bacha hospital here has led to protests after the woman's family alleged that the delivery was performed over a video call in the absence of doctors at the hospital. After the death of both the mother and her newborn, the family alleged that the hospital staff performed the delivery in the absence of a professional doctor, thereby risking the lives of the woman and her child.

The family has subsequently refused to cremate the bodies of the deceased until action is taken in the matter, and have staged a protest in front of the hospital. Several other people in the area have joined the protest, demanding action against the culprit.

The hospital administration, on the other hand, has offered condolences for the deaths and reassured appropriate action. The administration also claimed to have recorded the statement of the family members as well as the staff present at the hospital during the delivery of the woman. An internal committee at the hospital will investigate the matter, even though the family has not sought any police intervention so far.

Several government hospitals in Punjab have been caught in bad limelight in the past for their inefficiency in safely delivering children. Punjab has also registered negative results in the Maternal Mortality Rate(MMR) reports released this year in March. Other than Uttarakhand and West Bengal, Punjab is the only state to have recorded a 'high' MMR with 114 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births across the state between the years 2017 and 2019.