HYDERABAD: Unable to bear the brunt of maternal deaths at the maternity hospitals in the city, gynaecologists, anaesthetists, and doctors of other specialisations in Telangana are a distressed lot, with some even mulling going on long leave.
To try resolve the issue, which has pushed the health department in panic mode, a meeting was convened on Saturday evening among doctors of the specialisations, superintendents of maternity hospitals in the city, director of Medical Education Dr M Ramani, commissioner of Health and Family Welfare Karuna Vakati and other officials. It is learnt that doctors did not hesitate to express the work stress they face due to maternal deaths, dearth of staff etc.
Most of the doctors argued that high-risk cases and extremely high-risk-cases are directed to government maternity hospitals, and handling such patients is a challenging task. Besides this, strengthening of teaching and area hospitals was also discussed. Officials gave assurance to increase staff at maternity hospitals and area hospitals.
The officials are also mulling recording the process where doctors explain the health issues a pregnant woman is facing during admission at the hospital, as well as complications that might arise during delivery. “Their consent would be video recorded,” said an official.
As of now, written consent is taken from family members of patients. Protocol on post-operative care would also be framed to detail out what is to be done if complications arise post-delivery.
Doctors on overdrive
With sudden influx of high-risk cases from Government Maternity Hospital, Sultan Bazar to Niloufer Hospital, doctors of the hospitals went on overdrive to perform deliveries. Usually they perform four to six deliveries, but it crossed 15 on Friday as Caesarean surgeries at Sultan Bazar were stopped after maternal deaths.
Gynaecologists from Sultan Bazar Maternity Hospital too were sent to Niloufer Hospital to assist surgeries there.