LUCKNOW: In a shocking incident, two men with no medical qualifications have been arrested in Ambedkarnagar for allegedly performing a caesarean section at an unregistered hospital, resulting in the death of a 28-year-old expectant mother.
The accused, Yogesh Verma, 32, an arts graduate from Malipur, and Shubham Vishwakarma, 19, a Class 12 student from Sultanpur, were reportedly conducting surgeries at Navjeevan Hospital in Bukhiya village under the Baskhari Bazaar police station area without any recognised medical qualification.
According to police sources, Priyanka, wife of Sandeep Kumar Verma, was admitted to the hospital on 5 February for childbirth. Verma and Vishwakarma allegedly performed a caesarean section, following which she developed severe bleeding complications.
As her condition deteriorated, hospital staff referred her to a facility in Akbarpur, from where she was further referred to Lucknow. She died en route.
Following protests by the victim’s family, the hospital operator, identified as Ruby, fled the premises. The facility was sealed on 8 February, and an FIR was registered the following day on the basis of a complaint lodged by Dr Ajay, Superintendent of Baskhari Community Health Centre (CHC).
Police said Yogesh Verma had acquired rudimentary medical knowledge while assisting his father, Bhagwandas, a retired ward boy who had served at the Jalalpur CHC. Investigators believe Verma had been performing surgeries for several years under his father’s guidance at various facilities.
Meanwhile, Shubham Vishwakarma’s father, Vijay Vishwakarma, runs a nursing home in the Bekwai Akhandnagar area of Sultanpur district. Police sources said Shubham had been assisting Verma during such procedures.
Ambedkarnagar Chief Medical Officer Dr Sanjay Kumar Shaiwal has ordered verification of all medical credentials linked to Navjeevan Hospital and assured strict action against those found responsible.
Amid rising maternal mortality cases in both government and private hospitals in the district, Ambedkarnagar District Magistrate Anupam Shukla has constituted a probe committee to document maternal deaths reported since April 2025. Action will be taken against those found guilty of negligence or dereliction of duty, officials said.