GUWAHATI: The Manipur government has ordered a probe into the death of a 20-year-old pregnant tribal woman.
The deceased, Kanpatliu Kamei, had visited at least five hospitals, including three run by the state government, but she was allegedly denied admission due to shortage of doctors and paramedics. She hailed from the hill district of Noney.
The state’s Health Minister L Jayentakumar said a committee had been formed to conduct the probe.
“This is an unfortunate incident. A departmental inquiry has been ordered and action will be taken against anyone found guilty,” he told this newspaper.
The woman and her husband Roshan Kamei had first visited a government hospital in Senapati district which referred her to a government hospital in state capital Imphal. The couple visited this hospital and thereafter, another government hospital in Imphal but they allegedly refused admission to the woman on the grounds of lack of doctors and paramedics.
It was night and the man was at his wit’s end. He took his wife to a private hospital but it was locked from inside. He shouted but failed to wake its staff up. He then went to another private hospital but some employees there, including nurses, allegedly told him that they could not admit her as it was too late at night.
He pleaded with them saying his wife was going through initial labour pain but the staff remained unmoved. Cold-shouldered, he then decided to take her to another hospital on the outskirts of Imphal but the woman died on the way.
“She was in pain. I had begged for her admission but the hospitals shut their doors on us,” Roshan told journalists.