THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A 26-year-old woman died from an infection after giving birth at SAT Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, on Sunday, sparking widespread protests.
Sivapriya J R of Karikkakom, gave birth to a boy on October 22 by normal delivery and was discharged on October 25. However, she was readmitted the next day with high-grade fever.
As her condition worsened, Sivapriya was put on ventilator support for nearly 10 days at the multi-specialty block of Government Medical College before passing away. Meanwhile, blood culture revealed the presence of Acinetobacter, a bacterium commonly associated with hospital-acquired infections.
Following her death, Sivapriya’s family accused the SAT Hospital of medical negligence. They refused to accept her body and staged a sit-in protest outside the hospital with her two-year-old daughter and the newborn, demanding justice. The victim’s brother, Sivaprasad, claimed that the doctors at the multi-specialty block had confirmed the infection was hospital-acquired.
In response, Health Minister Veena George directed Director of Medical Education Dr K V Viswanathan to form an expert panel to investigate the incident and submit the report within two days.
Meanwhile, former union minister V Muraleedharan, who joined the family’s protest, demanded an independent investigation by a panel in accordance with the Supreme Court guidelines, rather than one conducted by the Directorate of Medical Education (DME).
He condemned repeated instances of alleged medical negligence. “The recurrent instances show that the state’s health system is on ventilator. The family deserves justice, and those responsible must be held accountable. It’s also concerning that the family had to spend Rs 1 lakh on her treatment,” said Muraleedharan.
On the other hand, the hospital witnessed tense moments on Sunday when Congress members attempted to force their way inside. Hospital authorities, however, denied any wrongdoing.
SAT Hospital superintendent Dr Bindu S stated that the delivery had been completed within 45 minutes of membrane rupture, eliminating the possibility of intrapartum sepsis. “Acinetobacter is a common opportunistic bacterium, typically affecting immunocompromised patients or those with prolonged hospital stays,” she said,
Dr Sreekumari, who treated Sivapriya, maintained that the patient had been stable upon discharge. “We monitored her closely after delivery. There were no complications. She was later readmitted with fever and diarrhoea, and the wounds might have become infected as a result,” she explained.
Hosp under scrutiny; experts call for probe
Unnikrishnan S @T’Puram: Health experts have called for a comprehensive probe into the death of the woman after allegedly contracting an infection from one of the state’s leading mother-and-child hospitals. They believe the infection was most likely acquired from the hospital rather than from the patient’s home. “The mother was healthy and had a normal delivery. She was discharged on the third day but was readmitted the very next day. This timeline suggests a higher likelihood of hospital-acquired infection,” said a senior doctor. He stressed that the delivery environment and the personnel involved should be part of the investigation. “It’s important to examine whether this pathogen has been prevalent in the labour room recently,” he said.