Bandipora, Oct 15 (JKNS): Deputy Commissioner Bandipora Indu Kanwal Chib on Thursday said that a preliminary inquiry has been conducted into the death of a pregnant woman and her baby in Gurez, with a proposal for action against the concerned doctor submitted to the Director Health Services.
Speaking to media persons, Indu Kanwal Chib, as per news agency JKNS, said the administration was deeply saddened by the deaths and that reports obtained from the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) had been forwarded to the Director Health Services for necessary action.
She said the case involved a high-risk pregnancy, with the woman reportedly having a low-lying placenta and a haemoglobin level of five. According to the medical information received by the administration, the baby had already died in the womb when the woman was brought for treatment.
The Deputy Commissioner said there had also been a dispute between the woman and the concerned doctors. She added that heavy snowfall around Razdan Pass and adverse weather conditions had made shifting the patient difficult, particularly after a vehicle belonging to the emergency services reportedly met with an incident near Pir Baba.
“However, the concerned doctor was responsible, and we conducted a preliminary inquiry,” she said, adding that reports from the CMO and SDM had been submitted to the Director Health Services, as the matter required action at that level.
Chib said she had also spoken to the Director Health Services regarding the matter and that the proposal for action had been forwarded. She added that the demands raised by residents, including an inquiry and action against the concerned doctor, had been taken up by the administration.
Regarding preventive measures for the coming winter, she said the administration had made arrangements to ensure that high-risk pregnant women could be shifted in time for specialised medical care.
She said winter preparedness measures had been undertaken previously and that arrangements were being made again to prevent similar incidents.
On compensation, the Deputy Commissioner said that no financial assistance could compensate for the loss of a mother and her baby. However, she confirmed that assistance had been provided to the bereaved family through the Red Cross.
Meanwhile, markets in Dawar, the main town of Gurez, remained shut on Wednesday as residents staged protests over the deaths of Haseen Bagem, wife of Showket Hameed Lone, and her baby. The protesters alleged a delay in shifting the critically ill woman to District Hospital Bandipora amid heavy snowfall around Razdan Pass.
The deceased, a resident of Mazgund village in Tulail, was taken to a local health facility before being referred to Sub-District Hospital Gurez. Doctors subsequently advised her transfer to Bandipora for further treatment due to her critical condition and low haemoglobin levels.
Chief Medical Officer Bandipora Dr Bhajan Kour earlier said that the matter was under investigation. (JKNS)
