Bikaner hospital records first death due to kidney failure as woman dies month after delivering baby

Jaipur, June 19 (IANS) After five women succumbed to sufferings due to cesarean section (C-section) challenges and other surgeries in Rajasthan's Kota, the first death has been reported due to post delivery challenges among new mothers at the Prince Bijay Singh Memorial (PBM) Hospital in Bikaner. 

A 20-year-old woman from Suratgarh, identified as Preeti, died on Friday after battling multiple organ failure following complications that reportedly began after her delivery.

Preeti had been admitted to PBM Hospital, the largest government healthcare facility in the Bikaner division, for childbirth around a month ago.

According to family members, her health deteriorated steadily after delivery.

During treatment, her kidneys stopped functioning, and the condition subsequently affected several other vital organs.

Hospital sources said that her condition remained critical for days, with inadequate oxygen supply to the brain further complicating her recovery. She was placed on ventilator support and underwent intensive treatment, but doctors were ultimately unable to save her.

PBM Hospital Superintendent B.C. Ghiya said the woman died due to multiple organ failure.

According to hospital authorities, kidney failure triggered a chain of complications that severely affected other organs, leading to her death despite prolonged medical intervention.

The incident is linked to a wider medical crisis that emerged recently at PBM Hospital, where six women reportedly suffered kidney failure following Cesarean deliveries in the maternity ward.

All six patients were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and placed on dialysis after developing serious complications.

The affected women, aged between 20 and 27 years, reportedly experienced symptoms including urinary retention, falling platelet counts, and acute kidney failure.

Among them, Preeti's condition had been described as the most critical.

The incident triggered alarm within the hospital administration and the management of Sardar Patel Medical College, prompting the Rajasthan government to seek a detailed report into the circumstances that led to the complications.

Amid growing concern over the condition of the women, Rajasthan Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar visited Bikaner to review the situation and hold discussions with officials at SP Medical College.

Ahead of the Minister's visit, Youth Congress workers staged protests over the condition of the hospital and the treatment of the affected women.

The demonstration turned tense, requiring police intervention to bring the situation under control.

The controversy intensified after Health Minister Khimsar, while speaking to reporters, made remarks questioning whether the women had arrived at the hospital "walking or dancing".

The statement drew widespread criticism from Opposition leaders and social groups, who accused the Minister of being insensitive to the suffering of the patients and their families.

With the first fatality now reported, pressure is mounting on the hospital administration and state Health authorities to determine the cause of the medical complications and fix accountability in the case.

Former Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Ashok Gehlot has already written a letter to Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma demanding financial aid for the victims.

Five women had died in Kota hospitals following post delivery complications.

Gehlot termed this situation of new mothers dying and their kidneys failing as an 'institutional failure' and demanded an FIR against doctors for negligence.

--IANS

arc/khz