Doctors cleared as negligence not proved; National Commission faulted by Supreme Court for overreach
Issue -
January - 2026, Posted On: 01 January 2026
A young expectant mother, admitted to a private nursing home for delivery, lost her newborn within minutes of birth — and succumbed herself a few hours later to severe post-partum bleeding. Her husband alleged that the facility was unequipped for emergencies, that no blood was available when she began to hemorrhage, and that the delay in shifting her to a tertiary hospital cost her life.
The treating obstetrician and hospital countered that the patient had suffered atonic postpartum haemorrhage — a rare but catastrophic complication where the uterus fails to contract after delivery — and that every possible step was taken to stabilise her. They maintained that the bleeding had started suddenly, that blood was arranged within an hour, and that the patient was transferred to a referral hospital under active transfusion and oxygen support. Multiple medical boards, each constituted on the family’s complaint, reviewed the records and unanimously concluded that there was no medical negligence in the management.
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