‘Untrained’ staff ruptured liver, broke legs of baby
› In order to bring the baby out, the nursing staff applied so much force that it not only broke into two parts, but also caused multiple fractures in legs and the liver got burst.
DR SURENDRA DUGGAR, doctor
BARMER: The baby, whose body broke into two parts, had its legs fractured and liver ruptured as the two untrained male staffers at a government community health centre in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan attempted to deliver him, an autopsy has revealed.
Amritlal and Junjhar Singh of the health centre in Ramgarh, who the boy’s father has alleged were drunk at the time of the delivery on January 6, are yet to be arrested. They have been suspended and the officer in charge of the health centre Dr Nikhil Sharma has been removed from active duty. Dr Surendra Duggar, who conducted the postmortem examination at Jawahar Government Hospital in Jaisalmer on Friday, said while speaking to the HT that he got the body in three pieces: head, torso and placenta. “In order to bring the baby out, the nursing staff applied so much force that it not only broke into two parts, but also caused multiple fractures in legs and liver got burst. We also have carried out a floating test of lungs which revealed that the baby was dead,” he said.
However, Dr Duggar said he was not able to ascertain the cause of death. “It could be due to the pull by nursing staff with much force or any other reason, which can be ascertained with the sonography report before the delivery, he said.” Dr Duggar said he has handed over the autopsy report to the police. The two men even deposited the lower part of the foetus in the hospital’s mortuary and asked the family of the woman to take her to Jaisalmer. The mother, identified as Dikhsha Kanwar, was taken to Jawahar Government Hospital, and the health centre staffers informed the doctors there that they had finished the delivery but left the placenta in the womb.
According to chief medical and health officer in Jaisalmer Dr BL Bunkar, Amritlal and Junjhar Singh who conducted the delivery were not trained birth attendants. Investigations have been initiated in the matter and a committee has been constituted to probe the death of the baby.
The boy’s family refused to bury him on Friday as they called for the arrest of the two staffers. They were later assured by the administration of quick action against those guilty.