Chatra: The Chatra administration on Sunday sealed a private nursing home operating near Chatra bus stand following the death of a 20-year-old pregnant woman and her unborn child. The deceased was identified as Baijanti Devi, a resident of Chuku village.
Acting on the directive of deputy commissioner Ravi Anand, a team comprising Sadar hospital deputy superintendent-cum-in-charge civil surgeon Dr Pankaj Kumar, circle officer Anil Kumar and Sadar police station officer in-charge Awadhesh Singh inspected the facility and found doctors and staff missing, and only the landlord present. The team sealed the wards, OPD, operation theatre and main gate after shifting a patient to Sadar hospital. The civil surgeon said negligence during treatment was found during the preliminary probe.
The woman’s family said she was admitted to the facility on June 3. According to relatives, the hospital charged about Rs 25,000 during this period. On June 6, they were told her condition turned critical and surgery was needed to abort the baby. The hospital allegedly demanded Rs 40,000 for the operation. The family said they could not arrange the amount, after which she was sent back home the same day.
She died at home on Sunday afternoon.
The family claimed the baby died in the womb during treatment and that Baijanti’s condition worsened thereafter. Her husband, Lato Ganjhu, alleged that one unit of blood was administered and they were charged Rs 9,000, claiming procedures such as blood matching were not followed before transfusion.
Questions were also raised over the hospital’s certification. The facility is allegedly being run by Vikas Yadav and three other practitioners. Yadav earlier operated another hospital at Bagra Mor, which was closed during an administrative crackdown last year, but it was allegedly reopened near the bus stand.
The civil surgeon added, “The source of the blood transfused to the patient is also unclear. Blood should be collected through authorised blood banks. No written complaint has been received from the family yet. If they submit a complaint, an FIR will be registered against the hospital and those responsible.”
