New born's arm cut during C-section, dies

Udaipur (Rajasthan), Jan 23 : In an apparent case of negligence by doctors, a new-born died after his arm got cut during a C-section delivery at a government hospital here.

Ranjit Meghwal, a resident of Kelwara town in Rajsamand district, about 100 km from here, alleged that the doctors at Pannadhay Hospital accidentally cut the arm of the baby while conducting the caesarian on his wife Babli, 25, on Wednesday.

The baby's condition became critical Friday and he was put on artificial respiration. However, at 8 p.m., he was pronounced dead.

"The doctors have killed my baby," said a tearful Meghwal.

"It was gross negligence...we were not told anything... when our child was brought to the nursery he was bleeding profusely from near his shoulder. We asked a junior doctor and he told us that the baby was born in this state," Meghwal said.

"I was not convinced by his reply. When I tried to enquire more into it I was told that while conducting the caesarian, he got a cut by a blade. When he was born, he was bleeding," he said.

A relative of Meghwal alleged that doctors did nothing to control his bleeding.

"He was referred for operation, but nothing was done. You can check up hospital records. He was referred twice to paediatric and orthopedic surgeons and also to a cardiologist, but no one cared," he alleged.

Meanwhile, a four-member committee set up by the collector Friday to inquire into the incident did not find any negligence on the part of doctors. The report says that no cut was found on the arm of the child. It was more like laceration (a cut) that may have happened as the baby was premature - seven and a half-months-old.

"We tried our best to save the child. He developed Septicemia (a serious, life-threatening infection), we kept him on antibiotics. But the baby did not survive," a doctor at the hospital said.