KOTA — The medical crisis gripping the state-run healthcare system in Rajasthan has severely deepened as the death toll of pregnant women following cesarean section (C-section) surgeries has officially risen to five. The latest fatality has intensified public fury and triggered a cascade of medical negligence allegations against the administration of local government hospitals.
The latest victim was identified as Shirin, a 29-year-old woman who was five months pregnant. According to grieving family members, she was admitted to the government facility due to health complications and subsequently underwent a surgical intervention. Shortly after the procedure, her clinical condition rapidly collapsed, matching a terrifying pattern seen in multiple other cases over the past two weeks. Despite emergency attempts to stabilize her, she became the fifth mother to lose her life in this escalating healthcare tragedy.
The tragedy initially unfolded during the first week of May when approximately 12 to 13 pregnant women underwent routine cesarean deliveries at the state-run New Medical College Hospital (NMCH) and the allied JK Lon Hospital in the city. Within a narrow window of 8 to 12 hours post-surgery, the condition of at least six women deteriorated at a catastrophic rate. Clinical reports indicated that the patients suffered from sudden, drastic drops in blood pressure, plummeting platelet counts, acute kidney failure, and severe urinary blockages.
Before the latest casualty, four other young mothers had already succumbed to identical post-operative complications. The deceased include 26-year-old Payal, who passed away on May 5, and 19-year-old Jyoti Nayak, who died on May 7 at the Government Medical College Hospital. The tragedy spread to JK Lon Hospital shortly after, claiming the lives of 22-year-old Priya Mahawar on May 9 and 31-year-old Pinki Mahawar on May 11. Several other women continue to battle for survival in high-dependency intensive care units, remaining in highly critical condition.
The clustering of these deaths has pointed squarely toward massive institutional lapses, sparking widespread protests by relatives and political workers outside the hospital premises. Shocking allegations of unhygienic practices have emerged, including one highly publicized incident where a patient’s surgically removed uterus was reportedly left unattended in a cardboard container near a post-operative bed. Preliminary internal investigations also revealed a severe lapse in senior medical oversight. While over a dozen surgeries were being conducted simultaneously, the senior doctor officially assigned to the post-gynaecology ward was allegedly completely absent, leaving crucial patient monitoring entirely in the hands of junior resident doctors.
As public outrage reached a boiling point, the state government intervened by suspending four medical staff members. Those suspended include two doctors and two senior nursing personnel, following a preliminary report that confirmed gross structural lapses in treatment and basic patient care.
A high-level multi-disciplinary expert probe has been officially ordered by Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma. The ongoing investigation is heavily focusing on potential hospital-acquired infections, lapses in the sterilization protocols of the operation theaters, and the structural safety of the chemical solutions and medications utilized during the procedures. State health administrators have ordered immediate testing of drug and toxin samples and are restructuring the standard operating procedures for maternal ICUs across the district to prevent further loss of innocent lives.
