PUNE, MH — A wave of grief and outrage has enveloped the local community following the sudden death of a six-year-old girl while undergoing an eye procedure at the prominent Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital (DMH) in Erandwane, Pune. The minor, identified as Priyanshi Bagde, a resident of Ahilyanagar whose family originally hails from Gondia, tragically passed away on May 18, 2026, leading to formal allegations of gross medical negligence against the operating team.
In the wake of the tragedy, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) intervened aggressively, issuing an urgent show-cause notice to the hospital’s director. The civic body has demanded all relevant case files, documentation, and medical records be submitted to the municipal health department within a strict 24-hour window.
Routine Procedure Turns Fatal
According to police statements and family testimonies, Priyanshi had a medical history of congenital cataracts, having undergone her first corrective eye procedure at just one year of age. Her parents brought her to Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital for what was meant to be a follow-up therapeutic procedure—variously reported as a retina inspection and squint or glaucoma management—to permanently correct her vision before she began school.
The family claimed that doctors explicitly informed them that all pre-operative diagnostic tests and vital signs were completely normal, and the young child entered the operation theatre in a cheerful, stable condition. However, complications unraveled rapidly within the theatre.
Dr. Suryakant Devkar, Assistant Health Officer for the PMC, provided critical details on the preliminary clinical chain of events. “The patient was placed under general anesthesia,” Dr. Devkar noted. “Preliminary tracking indicates that the minor suffered a sudden cardiac arrest during extubation—the critical phase where the surgical breathing tube is actively removed.”
Distressed relatives further alleged that within approximately thirty minutes of the surgery commencing, doctors rushed out to state there was a severe medical emergency. The family claimed that the child began bleeding from the mouth, and despite cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and emergency attempts to stabilize her in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), she was pronounced dead at approximately 2:00 PM.
Police and Medical Board Action
The girl’s father, Jitendra Puvarlal Bagde, 37, approached the Alankar Police Station to file a formal medical negligence complaint against the attending medical personnel. Distraught relatives and family members additionally staged a vocal protest directly outside the hospital premises, demanding a high-level, independent criminal investigation into the incident.
Surgical Escalation Timeline (May 18)
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[Morning] Patient enters OT in stable condition
[Mid-Surgery] Complications arise; CPR administered
[2:00 PM] Minor pronounced deceased after arrest
[Next Day] PMC issues 24-hour show-cause notice
Senior Police Inspector Ulhas Kadam of the Alankar Police Station confirmed that statements have been officially recorded from the operating doctors, and the family’s complaint has been integrated into police logs. However, law enforcement officials clarified that a First Information Report (FIR) for criminal negligence or culpable homicide cannot be registered immediately.
“Following mandatory legal protocols for healthcare disputes, all relevant medical documents and case files are being referred to the specialized Medical Negligence Board at Sassoon General Hospital,” Inspector Kadam stated. “The police will initiate formal statutory charges only after receiving the expert independent clinical opinion from the Sassoon expert panel.”
Hospital and Civic Administration Responses
The administration of Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital issued a public statement addressing the tragedy but declined to expand further on the specific clinical anomalies that occurred during extubation. “The incident that occurred is extremely unfortunate,” the hospital’s corporate desk stated. “The hospital has internally initiated a swift inquiry into the matter. We remain entirely committed to maintaining complete transparency and will provide all necessary data to the police and Sassoon authorities.”
Simultaneously, the PMC is reviewing whether the hospital breached guidelines established under the Bombay Nursing Home Act, 1949, and subsequent state healthcare mandates. Civic health authorities verified that a full forensic review will determine if adequate patient-safety protocols and anesthetic standards were stringently observed during the routine minor procedure.
The child’s body was transferred to Sassoon General Hospital where a comprehensive post-mortem examination was successfully completed. Following the autopsy, the grieving parents left Pune to return to their native hometown to conduct final rites. The expert medical board’s definitive report is expected within the coming weeks.
