NEW DELHI: On the unfortunate news of the death of a pregnant Indian woman in Portugal, India on Thursday said that it is in touch with the family and the Indian Embassy there will provide all necessary assistance to them.
"We are aware of it, of this very unfortunate incident. We are in touch with the family. Our Embassy there would be engaged with the local authorities to the extent required to provide the consular assistance. This is a very unfortunate incident involving Indian citizens and we are in touch with the family to provide all necessary assistance," said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in a daily presser on Thursday.
This comes as Portugal's Health Minister Marta Temido resigned on Tuesday after widespread criticism of her decision to temporarily close emergency obstetric services and forcibly transfer a pregnant Indian woman between hospitals.
Temido said that she "no longer has the conditions" to exercise the position, which the prime minister accepted, Portugal's National Public broadcaster, RTP News reported.
Her resignation was announced five hours after the news of the death of a pregnant woman in Lisbon.
In a note published on the official website of President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa had already assumed that he was awaiting the resignation request of the Minister of Health, Marta Temido, and the proposal to appoint a replacement.
"The President of the Republic was informed by the Prime Minister, (...) of the intention of the Minister of Health, Marta Temido, to cease her duties, a position she accepted", reads a text posted on the Presidency's page in internet with the title "Note on the Minister of Health's intention to cease her duties".
A pregnant Indian woman died on Saturday after being transferred on Tuesday from Hospital de Santa Maria to Hospital Sao Francisco Xavier, due to a lack of vacancies in the neonatology service.
During the trip, there was a cardiorespiratory arrest, and resuscitation work was carried out on the transport, reported RTP News.
According to Centro Hospitalar Universitario Lisboa Norte (CHULN), at the Sao Francisco Xavier Hospital, the pregnant woman was "submitted to an urgent cesarean section, with the newborn, weighing 722 grams, going to the neonatal intensive care unit for prematurity".
"The mother was hospitalized in intensive care, and died", indicated the CHULN, sending "the deepest condolences to the family". Meanwhile, Marta Temido will remain in office until the successor is chosen. The successor must be approved by the Council of Ministers scheduled for September 15.
"We are aware of the very unfortunate incident. We are in touch with the family. I presume, our embassy there would be engaged with the local authorities to the extent required to provide consular assistance," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at his weekly media briefing.
"It is a very unfortunate incident involving an Indian citizen and we are in touch with the family to provide all necessary assistance," Bagchi said.
(With PTI Inputs)