Child lost in womb, kin blame hospital

A woman who was nine months pregnant lost her child in the womb as she was allegedly not permitted to use the hospital elevator.

The incident occurred at the Imtiyaz Hospital in Old City on Sunday. According to the relatives of the victim, Surraiya Fatima who was experiencing labour pains, was not allowed to use the hospital elevator and only invitees were allowed to use it for a Sunday night wedding event held on the terrace of the hospital building situated in Akbar Towers, Nalgonda.

Fatima, according to her relatives, was forced to take the stairs. “The doctor informed us that my wife Surraiya had seven days remaining to give birth. We visited the hospital with my wife, aunt Sameena Begum, and myself. We were astonished to discover that the entire hospital crew was attending a DJ event on the hospital building’s terrace,” Syed Arif stated. There was deafening noise caused by the music and the cracker explosions, he said.

Only until locals and the relatives of the patients intervened did the medical staff put a stop to the party. Surraiya had already delivered a dead child by then. “I hold the hospital management accountable for the death of the child who was normal and might have been rescued if responded to in a timely manner,” Surraiya’s aunt Sameena said. A case of death due to negligence has been registered against the management of Imtiyaz hospital.

However, Dr Imamuddin Syed of the Hospital clarified, “On June 25, late at night, Surraiya Fatima, a primigravida with a gestational age of 37 weeks and 7 days and pregnancyinduced hypertension, was admitted with complaints of abdominal pain. According to treatment protocol and recommendations, she was held for observation while being monitored for foetal heart and blood pressure. After examination, it was found she was not in labour.” He further stated that Surraiya complained of terrible abdominal pain on June 26 at 8 pm. “Her uterus on examination was tense and tender and the foetal heart rate was low. She was immediately posted for emergency C- section after taking consent. In the OT, the surgeon could not hear the foetal heart. So, ultrasound of the abdomen was done in OT and we found that the foetal heart was absent and there were retroplacental clots, abruption etc,” Imamuddin clarified.

“The hospital occupies two floors of the structure, and my mother-in-law, who owns the hospital, resides on the third floor,” he said, adding that a event was held but patients were not inconvenienced.