Don’t politicise maternal deaths; unite to prevent such tragedies

To call the post-natal deaths of five women in the same institution—Ballari Medical College and Research Centre (BMCRC)—in a span of a few days “a serious issue,” would be a brazen understatement.

- NIRAD MUDUR

It is a tragedy beyond “shocking,” calling into question the capability of the government medical facilities to ensure safe childbirth specifically, and safe health practices in general.

Linked to these tragedies is an emotional dimension—that each of these five women bore healthy newborns who will never know their biological mothers.

Four maternal deaths were reported between November 9 and 11. The fifth death occurred on Thursday when the patient, who was admitted to BMCRC on November 11 and underwent a Caesarean to deliver her baby, subsequently experienced severe hypotension (lower than normal blood pressure, serious forms of which deprive the heart, brain, and vital organs of adequate blood and oxygen), despite being on double inotropes (drugs supporting the heart muscles to beat with more power, in this case), and suffered a cardiac arrest at 7.45 pm.

Two days before the fifth death occurred, the Karnataka Government wrote to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), requesting a probe and urging initiation of action against a West Bengal-based pharmaceutical company—Paschim Banga Pharmaceuticals—the manufacturer of the RL solution. This was amid suspicions attributing the deaths to the use of alleged substandard RL solution from the company.