CHENNAI: Protests broke out at Kannagi Nagar after a pregnant woman lost her 33-week-old foetus and is now in critical condition, allegedly as no doctor was available at the community health centre (CHC) on Tuesday morning. Residents that TNIE spoke to said Mercy (28) was brought to the hospital by her family around 11 am after she woke up with abdominal pain.
“She was made to wait for one hour since there was no doctor available. She was then referred to Government Kasturba Hospital for Women (Gosha) in Triplicane, about 40 minutes away,” said Murugan, an activist.
She was taken to the Kasturba hospital, the nearest government maternity hospital from the community health centre, in an auto. At the Triplicane hospital, the woman’s family was told that the foetus could not be saved and that the woman’s condition was critical.
However, doctors at the community health centre, denying the unavailability of doctors, said that she was immediately taken for an ultrasound and other tests.
“The fetal heart rate and the patient’s other vitals were normal when we checked in the morning, which was why she was not sent from here in an ambulance. We are trying to ascertain whether there was a few hour delay in taking her to Triplicane,” the doctor said
When asked why she was referred to the Triplicane hospital, although the community health centre has 24x7 maternity care, the doctor said, “It was the surgeon’s call. Although her vitals were normal when we checked, she presented with pain at 33 weeks (considered preterm) which could be indicative of uterine stress. Her previous delivery was also a C-section. They have better resources.”
Sholinganallur MLA Saravana Moorthy was at the spot along with police personnel, to pacify the protesters on Tuesday night. “This is not the first time that doctors have been absent at the CHC. Last year, a patient, Deepika Augustine, came here with bleeding just before her 9th month. They were made to wait for an hour before she was taken by ambulance to the Gosha hospital,” said Manikandan, another resident. “He (MLA) has come here a couple of times and taken photos, but we never hear from him again until the next mishap,” said a resident who did not want to be named.
Sources from Gosha hospital told TNIE that following an emergency procedure, she is stable but is being monitored in the ICU. Sources also noted that she had internal bleeding but refused to comment on what could have led to the complication.