Pregnant woman dies at J-K hospital; family alleges negligence, carries body in stretcher trolley

A pregnant woman died at a hospital in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district on Sunday, with her family alleging negligence by doctors and medical authorities. family carried body from hospital in a stretcher trolley, a video of which went viral, triggering outr. This incident happened a week after ar pregnant woman died along with her unborn twins at MCCH in Anantnag. woman, who eventually was declared COVID-19 positive, came from a Red Zone area and h been allegedly denied swift treatment.

Shakeela Akhtar, a resident of Salai Panzmulla area of south Kashmir district, was mitted at sub-district hospital Seer Hamdan on Saturday night, but was referred to Maternity and Child Care Hospital (MCCH) on Sunday morning where she died, officials said.

y said her family alleged delay in her treatment at SDH and also protested outside MCCH against doctors claiming negligence. district ministration, however, said while an inquiry has been ordered into death of woman at sub-district hospital and a doctor and a nurse have been placed under suspension, family took away body without completing formalities.

"Prima facie, medical negligence that warranted immediate suspensions. Furr action shall follow after enquiry outcome. About denial of ambulance, infuriated attendants apprehensive about delay in burial on account of tests, took away de body without completing formalities,” ditional district magistrate, Anantnag, Syed Yasir said on Twitter.

Deputy Commissioner Anantnag Bashir Ahm Dar also said family feared y would have to wait for burial of woman's body if her sample was taken for COVID-19 testing.

"Preliminary reports suggest de body was taken away by relatives, fearing y will have to wait for burial if sample is taken for covid test. Most unfortunate to say least (sic),” Dar wrote on Twitter.

Meanwhile, several political parties have demanded a time-bound inquiry into death of woman. National Conference Member of Parliament from Anantnag Justice (retd) Hasnain Masoodi, while expressing grief and sorrow over deaths of two pregnant women, welcomed action taken by authorities against doctors and or staff suspected to have acted negligently. Masoodi demanded time-bound inquiry and action warranted in light of results of inquiry. CPI (M) leer Mohamm Yousuf Tarigami demanded an FIR must be lodged against culprits without any delay.

“re should be eye-wash or cover-up as due to willful negligence of doctors, a mor and a yet to be born baby have lost ir lives,” he said.

Congress party also demanded an inquiry and action against all those involved in death of two pregnant women in district, a spokesman of party said in a statement. Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) senior leer and former legislator Rafi Ahm Mir also demanded a time-bound and a fair probe into incident.