In a heart-wrenching incident, a 26-year-old woman and her newborn baby have lost their lives following a C-section performed under the illumination of mobile phone flashlights at Sushma Swaraj Maternity Home in Mumbai’s Bhandup area. The deceased woman, Sahidun, had been admitted to the maternity home, operated by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), after experiencing labor pains on April 29th.
According to Sahidun’s brother-in-law, Sharukh Ansari, the initial plan was for a normal delivery. However, due to the baby’s low heartbeat, the medical team opted to perform a C-section. Tragically, despite the lack of proper lighting, the surgery was carried out using handheld torches.
The power outage further exacerbated the situation, leaving the medical team without an alternative source of electricity. Despite the availability of other hospitals, the doctors chose to continue with the procedure under these precarious conditions.
The mother-in-law of the deceased woman expressed her anguish, stating that her daughter-in-law had been in good health throughout her pregnancy. She lamented that after being admitted to the hospital at 7 am, her daughter-in-law was left unattended until 8 pm, with doctors repeatedly assuring her of a normal delivery.
However, upon visiting her daughter-in-law, the mother-in-law was shocked to find her covered in blood, with an incision made on her abdomen. The doctors allegedly asked for her signature, claiming that the woman had suffered a seizure and a C-section was necessary.
Despite the family’s pleas, the hospital failed to transfer the patient to another facility, even after the power outage. The C-section was subsequently performed with the aid of a mobile phone torch, resulting in the unfortunate deaths of both the mother and the newborn.
A senior doctor from the maternity hospital, requesting anonymity, confirmed the power outage and acknowledged issues with the generator. He emphasized that the surgery was almost complete when the electricity failed, leaving the team with no choice but to rely on flashlights.
The incident has sparked outrage and has prompted the civic body to set up a committee to investigate the deaths of the woman and her newborn child. This tragic event underscores the critical need for reliable healthcare infrastructure, including functioning backup systems, to ensure the safety of patients during unforeseen circumstances.
