SHILLONG:
Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh, on May 5, said that the death of an infant delivered by a woman at Ganesh Das Hospital, where a broken part of a needle got stuck inside her body, was due to “a natural procedure of loss”.
“There was no malpractice involved, there was no error in the strict sense by a doctor or by a nurse,” Lyngdoh said when told that the family members are asking for compensation.
She said that the issue of compensation will only be followed if there has been a “gross lapse of responsibility” by the medical team.
The Health Minister said that whatever help that could have been given to the mother and the child has been given but unfortunately the child was lost.
According to her, this child who died was the woman’s fourth child. The Health Minister said that the woman’s first child was born through caesarian section and that the second and the third child too did not survive like the fourth.
“There seems to be a bigger thing that is now being considered and studied. I am not an expert. I will go by what my officers said, happened and occurred,” Lyngdoh said.
Lyngdoh said that she will further review the matter but as of today this was the only information she has at hand and she can only go by what she has.
The Health Minister also an enquiry into the matter is also already conducted by the department.
She said that if there is no satisfaction on the issue, the government will study the case at a later date.
She said that the mother is in good hands and that she would personally visit her in her home to ensure that everything is in order.
Stating that she would not promise anything beyond that even as she said that the MHIS facility is available and the mother should have received all dues as per procedure.
Expressing regret at the loss of the child as she even stated that it was already in distress and had to be resuscitated.
According to Lyngdoh this is not something that should be assigned to the failure of Ganesh Das Hospital since whatever interventions required for the safety of both mother and child, all precautionary measures were taken by the hospital.
“There were inherently some problems which do not appear as malpractice,” the Health Minister added.
She said that Ganesh Das Hospital does not have a higher facility where in the event of any mistakes or unforeseen occurrence there is no system in the hospital and it was correct for the hospital to refer the case of the mother inside whose body part of a needle got stuck, to a higher facility.
Later after being referred to North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences, it successfully removed the needle stuck inside her body.
Lyngdoh also informed that the department has already initiated an inquiry into the matter.
The Health Minister said that the probe will be done at the level of the Director of Health Service (Medical Institutions).