Belagavi, Karnataka: A tragic case of maternal death has been reported at the Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences (BIMS), where a woman passed away following a cesarean section delivery. The family of the deceased, Vaishali Kotabagi, has accused the medical staff of negligence, claiming that her death was caused by prescribed medications and inadequate care.
According to the family, Vaishali, a resident of Gowdawada village near Hukkeri town, was initially admitted to Hukkeri Taluk Hospital due to labor pain. When the doctor was unavailable, she was transferred to BIMS. Vaishali gave birth to a baby girl via C-section on Saturday. However, on Sunday morning, she developed chest pain and was moved to the ICU, where she later passed away.
The family has raised concerns of negligence, alleging that the prescribed medications contributed to her sudden death. They have demanded an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death and have refused to allow the body to be handed over for post-mortem. The body was eventually sent to the mortuary after staff from BIMS intervened.
Vaishali had recently celebrated her marriage anniversary, and her death has left her family in distress. The police have stated that they are awaiting the post-mortem report before taking further action.
This incident has drawn attention to the ongoing issue of maternal deaths in Karnataka. During the state’s winter legislative session, opposition leader R. Ashoka criticized the Congress-led government over the rising number of maternal deaths in government hospitals across the state, particularly in Ballary, Raichur, and other districts. In response, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao called for stronger regulation of the pharmaceutical industry, acknowledging the lack of enforcement of drug-related laws.
The Congress government has ordered a judicial investigation into the case of maternal deaths in the state.
