C-section Via Phone? Doctor, Hospital booked after nurse performs procedure on 5 month old IVF twins

Hyderabad: In a shocking case of alleged medical negligence, a five-month pregnant woman who had conceived twins through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) tragically lost her babies after a nurse allegedly performed a C-section based on instructions received via phone call from a senior gynaecologist who was not present at the private hospital.

According to a recent TOI report, the twin babies were born prematurely at just 21 weeks and died within hours after the nurse administered an injection to the woman on the doctor’s instructions.

The woman, whose cervix had been stitched earlier due to signs of loosening, returned to the hospital a month later with intense pain. Despite the seriousness of her condition, the treating gynaecologist, who was not available at the hospital, directed the nursing staff over the phone to administer an injection. Not only did the injection fail to relieve her pain, but it also caused her cervical stitches to rupture. Although the woman survived, the premature twins could not be saved.

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Taking note of the botched procedure, senior officials, including the District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) of Rangareddy district, inspected the hospital and sealed the facility. A detailed inquiry is set to be conducted soon.

Based on the family’s complaint, an FIR has been filed against the doctor and the private hospital under section 106(1), read with section 3(5) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which pertains to medical negligence. The police will take action based on the district medical and health officer's (DMHO) report.

TOI reports that the incident took place after the woman, who was five months pregnant, had conceived through IVF. Her troubles began on April 6, when she visited Vijaya Laxmi Hospital for a regular prenatal check-up. According to district health officials, a senior gynaecologist during the check-up found that her cervix had loosened, a condition that can risk premature delivery. The doctor stitched the area around the cervix and sent her home.

However, on the morning of May 4, she experienced severe abdominal pain and returned to the hospital. Unfortunately, Dr ***, who was her consulting doctor, was not present at the hospital. Instead of referring her to someone else, the doctor decided to treat the woman over the phone and instructed the nurses to administer an injection to control the pain.

This decision turned tragic as the injection led to the rupture of the cervical stitches. "This caused immediate expulsion of the foetuses from the womb. While the mother is safe, the twins could not survive," said the DMHO.

Following this, the family members and relatives of the woman became agitated and blamed the doctors for her death. They then staged a protest outside the hospital, demanding strict action against its management.

District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO), Venkateshwarlu Rao, called it a serious case of medical negligence. He said, "It was extremely unprofessional of the doctor to let the nurses perform the complex procedure. We will conduct a thorough inquiry and submit our report to the police and higher authorities."

Further, a senior Rangareddy district health authority told Telangana Today, “To conduct any procedure, a senior doctor must be physically present at the operating theatre in the hospital. We have seized the facility and will conduct a thorough enquiry. The relatives of the pregnant woman are alleging that the procedure was conducted by the nursing staff while they received instructions over phone from the obstetrician."

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