My wife still hasn’t recovered from the trauma. The doctor who treated her for seven months couldn’t even read a sonography report. The report clearly stated that the baby’s heartbeat had stopped, yet she said ‘everything is fine’ and prescribed medicines.
These are the words of Ujjain resident Sahil Patel, whose wife Muskan narrowly escaped a life-threatening situation allegedly caused by medical negligence. According to Sahil, it was only because they sought a second opinion that Muskan's life was saved.
The allegation is against Ujjain-based gynecologist Dr. Rupali Maheshwari. When contacted, the doctor initially denied any negligence and later said the report was seen on mobile and the text was too small to read. The Ujjain CMHO has ordered an inquiry. Read the report to know what this case is about..
Pregnant woman walked around with dead foetus for 15 days
Sahil Patel, a daily-wage labourer, had chosen private treatment for his wife despite financial strain, believing it would ensure better care. The couple had been consulting Dr. Rupali Maheshwari, who attends patients at Pushpa Mission Hospital in the afternoon and at her clinic, Aradhya Health Center near Dussehra Ground, in the evening.
According to Sahil, Muskan was in the seventh month of pregnancy when the doctor advised a sonography on November 14. Sahil got the test done the same day and visited the doctor with the report. He says,
Madam checked the report and said everything is normal and the baby is healthy. She prescribed medicines for 15 days and asked us to repeat the sonography and come again on November 29.
After returning home, the family initially felt relieved. But in the days that followed, Muskan felt no foetal movement, something she immediately shared with the family. Sahil says,
At first we thought it could be normal, but when several days passed without any movement, we became worried. We decided we could not wait for November 29. We needed another opinion.
Second doctor reveals baby died weeks earlier
On November 29, the family underwent another sonography and visited a different gynaecologist, Dr. Jatva. The reaction they received left them stunned. As per Sahil,
The doctor compared the reports and told us the foetus had died, not recently, but around 15 days ago. The November 14 sonography clearly mentioned: ‘No Foetal Cardiac Activity Seen’.
Understanding the seriousness, Dr. Jatva advised immediate surgery, warning that keeping a dead foetus in the womb for so long could cause sepsis, a life-threatening infection. Muskan underwent surgery the same day, and her life was saved.