High Court raps state over death of pregnant woman
Taking serious note of the denial of medical aid by doctors to a pregnant woman in Jogulamba Gadwal district, the Telangana High Court asked the state government why criminal charges have not been slapped on the seven doctors who denied treatment to the pregnant woman Mrs Genela, who died on April 25 after delivering her baby in Hyderabad. The baby too died at Nilofer Hospital on the same day.
The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy, was adjudicating two PILs filed by two advocates Sreenitha Pujitha and Karanam Kishore Kumar, with the common plea that doctors in Jogulamba Gadwal district denied medical aid to the 20-year-old pregnant Genela fearing she was a Covid-19 patient.
This forced the pregnant woman to travel more than 200 km to Koti Maternity Hospital in Hyderabad, but here too she was denied admission and sent to Gandhi Hospital for a Covid test.
When she tested negative, she was admitted to a maternity hospital in Petla Burju, where she delivered a baby boy, only to die soon after and the
TWO PILS filed by with the common plea that doctors in Jogulamba Gadwal district denied medical aid to 20-year-old pregnant Genela fearing she was a Covid-19 patient.
child too. The petitioners sought action against the doctors for denying medical attention to a pregnant woman resulting in her death.
On being directed, the government submitted the report before the court that showed that seven doctors in Mahabubnagar government hospitals, Koti hospital and Gandhi Hospital had denied treatment to the patient, mentioning the various reasons for this and submitted that action will be taken against them.
Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan while going through the report submitted by the Spl Chief Secretary, Medical and Health, expressed surprise that the report was silent on the aspect of initiating criminal action against the doctors who were responsible for the death of the pregnant woman and denied her admission to their hospitals.
Advocate General B.S. Prasad informed the Bench that a departmental enquiry has been initiated against the doctors and once the enquiry is complete, departmental action will be initiated against them and the seven hospitals as well.
Dissatisfied with the contentions of the AG, Chief Justice Chauhan said, “Departmental action is quite distinct from criminal proceedings… I am asking for the department to initiate criminal proceedings against those doctors who denied medical attention to a pregnant lady. Nothing stopped someone from registering FIR against these errant doctors for medical negligence.”
The Bench further observed that the important aspect of initiating action against the hospitals was also missing in the report, apart from the vital aspect that this Court, on an earlier occasion had directed the state to ensure that sufficient number of ambulances should be stationed on national and state highways so that villagers can get access to medical aid.
Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy further contemplated appointing a retired superintendent of Gandhi Hospital or Osmania General Hospital or a retired Secretary, Medical and Health, to be appointed as Amicus Curiae to assist the court in adjudicating this case.