Jaipur, June 19 (IANS). Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has demanded accountability at the highest level on the incidents of death of women after delivery and kidney failure of many other women in government hospitals in Kota and Bikaner districts of Rajasthan.
In a letter to Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, Gehlot said poor women who rely on the government health system to go to government hospitals have had to pay a heavy price for the alleged negligence and shortcomings of the system.
Ashok Gehlot demanded immediate action, including making the investigation report public, filing criminal cases against the responsible officials and doctors, suspending them and a government guarantee for life-long treatment of the affected women.
He said that these incidents have raised serious questions on the quality of medicines, arrangements to prevent infection in operation theaters and the functioning of the state’s health system.
Gehlot also expressed deep concern over the cases of death of women after delivery and kidney failure of many women in New Medical College Hospital, Kota and PBM Hospital, Bikaner.
He demanded strict action against those responsible and justice to the affected families.
Gehlot termed these incidents as ‘institutional failure’ of the government health system. They demanded immediate publicizing of the investigation report, criminal action against responsible officials and doctors and government guarantee for long-term treatment of the affected women.
Gehlot said he personally visited Kota on June 17 and met the affected women and their families. She described the conditions seen at the hospital as ‘heartbreaking’ and said poor women who rely on the government health system have been badly let down.
According to the letter, since May 4, five women have died after delivery in Kota hospital, while several others are suffering from kidney failure and need regular dialysis.
On reports of several women suffering from kidney failure after delivery at Bikaner’s BPM hospital, Gehlot said the findings have revealed serious deficiencies, including poor hygiene, risk of infection near the operation theater and lack of critical-care facilities.
The former Chief Minister expressed concern that the investigation reports prepared by AIIMS and state agencies have not yet been made public. He said transparency is needed to ascertain whether the problem was caused by the drugs, treatment methods, patient care or infection prevention measures; Also, it is necessary to fix accountability and prevent such incidents in future.
–IANS
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