A second woman has died at the New Medical College Hospital in Rajasthan’s Kota district due to postpartum complications following a Caesarean delivery within 24 hours, raising fresh concerns about maternal care at the facility, officials said on Sunday. The Kota hospital deaths have triggered questions about whether the two fatalities are linked.
On Friday night, 40-year-old Reshma, who developed kidney-related complications after her fourth Caesarean delivery on October 14 at the New Medical College Hospital (NMCH), died during treatment, with her family alleging medical negligence and administrative apathy. The second fatality was reported on Saturday noon, when Roshan Bairwa, a high-risk patient from Baran with severe anaemia who had undergone a C-section the night before, died of sudden complications.
Kota hospital: different causes, says administration
The Kota hospital authorities, however, claimed that the cause of Roshan’s death was different from that of Reshma. “Roshan was a high-risk patient who was referred here from a private facility on Friday evening. She suffered severe postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) following the C-section delivery. Despite a blood transfusion, doctors could not arrest the bleeding, and she succumbed at 11:30 am Saturday,” NMCH Superintendent Ashutosh Sharma said.
Sharma clarified that Roshan’s death was caused by excessive blood loss due to severe PPH and was completely unrelated to any sort of acute kidney failure. Roshan was shifted to the NMCH from a private hospital on Friday evening, and her family submitted a statement declining an autopsy and further action, after which the body was handed over to them, officials said.
Kota hospital: third woman still under watch
Another woman, 30-year-old Anita, who also developed kidney complications after her C-section on Wednesday, remained under watch in the Kota hospital’s super-speciality block, where her condition is reported to be stable, officials said. The cluster of post-surgical complications at the NMCH has put the spotlight on its obstetric protocols.
A similar tragedy was reported at the same Kota hospital in May, when 12 women developed acute kidney problems after childbirth, five of whom died. The recurrence of serious maternal complications at the facility has intensified scrutiny from health officials and the public.
Kota hospital deaths raise negligence questions
Reshma’s family has alleged medical negligence and administrative apathy, and the death of a second woman within 24 hours has amplified those concerns. Postpartum haemorrhage is a leading cause of maternal death worldwide and is treatable when recognised early, while acute kidney failure after C-section can signal surgical or post-operative complications.
Health experts say the NMCH must now demonstrate that its emergency response, blood-bank readiness and post-operative monitoring meet the standards expected of a tertiary referral hospital. The Kota hospital administration has not yet announced whether an external inquiry will examine the two deaths and the ongoing case of Anita, whose recovery the public will be watching closely.
A repeat of the May tragedy
The latest Kota hospital deaths are not the first maternal-care crisis at the facility. In May, a similar tragedy was reported at the same hospital when 12 women developed acute kidney problems after childbirth, five of whom died. The recurrence of serious post-delivery complications within months has raised questions about whether systemic problems in the obstetric unit were ever fully addressed.
Postpartum haemorrhage, which killed Roshan Bairwa, is one of the leading causes of maternal death worldwide, but it is treatable when recognised early and managed with transfusion and, where needed, surgical intervention. Acute kidney failure after a C-section, as seen in Reshma’s case and in Anita’s ongoing illness, can signal surgical or post-operative complications that demand rapid specialist response. For the NMCH, a tertiary referral hospital that receives high-risk patients from across the region, the two deaths and Anita’s critical condition are now a test of its emergency response, blood-bank readiness and post-operative monitoring. Health officials are expected to face pressure to order an external inquiry into the latest fatalities. Hospital officials have not yet announced whether an external inquiry will be ordered into the two deaths. Anita’s family, like Reshma’s and Roshan’s, is waiting for answers as the hospital’s super-speciality block continues to monitor the one surviving patient.