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Rajasthan Maternal Deaths: Lapses Found in Care
6 Jul
Summary
- Expert panel cites poor high-risk pregnancy monitoring.
- Infection control and medical record gaps identified.
- Panel disputes oxytocin's role, blames procedural flaws.
An eight-member expert committee established by the Rajasthan government has uncovered several procedural lapses contributing to recent maternal deaths. These include inadequate monitoring of high-risk pregnancies, insufficient medical treatment records, and deficiencies in infection control. The World Health Organization had previously investigated a possible link to ineffective oxytocin, an injection used in childbirth.
While a batch of oxytocin was found to be ineffective, the expert panel's June report suggests that the absence of the active pharmaceutical ingredient cannot be solely attributed to the mortality. The committee emphasized that women died from different medical conditions.
The panel's findings, based on reviewing records of 12 women, also noted concerns raised by an AIIMS committee regarding sterilization, post-operative care, pharmacovigilance, and drug management. Significant irregularities were found in record-keeping, including inadequate patient history, treatment notes, and monitoring data.
The committee also identified deficiencies in obtaining informed consent and recommended strengthening protocols for obstetric emergency care, post-operative monitoring, and high-risk pregnancy management. Improvements in drug procurement, storage, and dispensing, along with protocols for blood product infusion, were also recommended.
