TIRUCHY: Following the death of a 31-year-old woman days after childbirth, the Tiruchy district administration has formed a three-member committee to probe alleged medical lapses at a private hospital in the city. District officials confirmed that the panel was constituted on November 20.
Health department officials said the inquiry became necessary as the hospital had recorded four maternal deaths in the past three years, creating "compelling circumstances" for an independent review. The committee will be headed by the DRO (Revenue Divisional Officer), including two senior government doctors. It has been directed to submit its report within 15 days.
According to police, J Jayarani(31) of Lalgudi underwent a C-section at the private hospital on November 3 and developed severe abdominal pain soon after delivering her baby boy. Her husband, Y Johnson, alleged surgical negligence. She was shifted to a hospital in Cantonment on November 8 for intensive care but died on November 11 there, despite being put on ventilator support.
Relatives staged a brief protest outside the private hospital, alleging Jayarani's intestine was ruptured during C-section. Police dispersed the crowd, and based on her husband’s complaint, Tiruchy GH police registered an unnatural death case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
A week later, the district administration constituted a committee to inquire into the incident, as well as to look into several allegations against the hospital, including past maternal deaths.