Unregistered Hospital Under Scanner as Maternal Death Sparks Outrage
Lucknow: Two unqualified practitioners — a BA graduate and a Class 12 student — have been arrested in the Baskhari area of Ambedkar Nagar for allegedly performing a caesarean surgery at an unregistered private hospital, leading to the death of a woman during childbirth. The facility had reportedly been operating illegally for nearly five years.
The incident occurred on February 5 when the woman was admitted to Navjeevan Hospital in Baskhari for delivery. According to police, the accused — a 32-year-old man from Malipur and a 19-year-old youth from Sultanpur — allegedly conducted the C-section. The woman delivered a baby girl but reportedly suffered excessive bleeding after anaesthesia and never regained consciousness. She was later referred to Lucknow, where she succumbed to her injuries.
Family Protest, Hospital Operator Absconding
The woman’s death triggered protests by her family members outside the hospital. The operator of the facility fled the premises soon after the incident and remains absconding. Authorities have seized mobile phones linked to the case and are attempting to trace her whereabouts.
Baskhari SHO Sunil Kumar Pandey stated that one of the accused claimed to have gained medical knowledge by assisting his father, a ward boy at a community health centre, while the other said he learned procedures by observing surgeries at a local hospital. Police said the duo allegedly charged ₹3,000–5,000 per caesarean — far lower than licensed surgeons — which attracted economically weaker patients.
Illegal Setup Exposed in Joint Inspection
Following instructions from the Chief Medical Officer, a joint inspection was conducted on the night of February 8 by officials including the CHC superintendent, the sub-divisional magistrate of Tanda, and local police. The team found that the hospital was operating illegally from four rooms of a residential building.
Authorities discovered the facility had no registration certificate, no biomedical waste authorisation, no fire NOC, and no qualified medical staff as mandated by law. Medicines, surgical instruments, and other medical equipment were recovered from the premises before the rooms were sealed in the presence of officials and police personnel.
FIRs Registered, Probe Committee Formed
An FIR was lodged on February 9 under relevant sections for illegal operation of a hospital and medical negligence. Additionally, the deceased woman’s husband filed a separate complaint under Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police said efforts are underway to arrest the absconding hospital operator.
Amid rising maternal mortality cases in the district, Ambedkar Nagar District Magistrate Anupam Shukla has constituted a probe committee to document maternal deaths reported since April 2025. The Chief Medical Officer has assured strict action against those found guilty of negligence or involvement in illegal healthcare practices.
