Death Due To Aadhaar: Pregnant Woman Dies As Hospital Refused Treatment As She Didn’t Had Aadhaar Card

A rather deplorable happening is in the news again, as a destitute woman from Tamil Nadu was allegedly denied admission at a hospital, despite developing the labour pain, which cost her life while giving birth to her twin new-born babies.

Taking a strong view of the incident, the district health officer (DHO) Dr Manjunatha D N recommended suspension of the duty doctor. According to her neighbours, Kasturi (30) was living in Bharati Nagar here with another destitute girl in a rented house.

After Kasturi developed labour pain, some of her neighbours raised money for delivery and sent her in an auto rickshaw to the Tumakuru district hospital.

Doctors and Staff Deny Admission into Hospital

Upon reaching the hospital, the doctors and the hospital staff refused to admit her, saying that she does not have an aadhaar card or a ‘Maternity Card’ and sent her home, they alleged.

The neighbours said that the duty doctor told her that she would write a slip referring her to the Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru. The woman was in excruciating pain returned to her home and the next morning. While delivering another baby, she died of heavy bleeding.

Duty Doctor Suspended Under Dereliction of Duty

Dr Manjunatha said he has recommended the suspension of the duty doctor who had refused to admit the patient. “This is a dereliction of duty. Since I cannot order the duty doctor’s suspension, I recommended it to the Tumakuru district deputy commissioner,” the DHO told PTI. He added that a detailed inquiry would also take place.

The victim had delivered a bady in the early hours of Thursday. However, there were some complications while delivering the second baby, resulting in the death of all the three. Kasturi is survived by a six-year-old daughter.

The incident attracted severe criticism, with JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy demanding the resignation of health and family welfare minister Dr K Sudhakar. “The incident has made the entire state bow its head in shame,” he said, adding that the incident is proof of the deteriorating standards of healthcare in the state. He also said that “She (Kasturi) had pleaded with the doctor to deliver the baby. However, the doctor behaved without kindness and asked her to go back. The doctor even suggested she go to Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru for delivery”.

Pinning the blame on the state government for the deaths and accused the government and the doctor of “murdering the trio”, he demanded that “Either Sudhakar should resign by taking moral responsibility of the issue or chief minister Basavaraj Bommai should oust him from the Cabinet. The state government should take care of the orphaned kid”.