The gynaecology ward of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College Hospital in Bhagalpur. Picture by Amit Kumar

Bhagalpur, May 10: Two deaths on Mothers’ Day — May 8 — has triggered a controversy and a resultant probe into the functioning of the state-run Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College Hospital here.

A 26-year-old woman, from a tribal village in Jharkhand, and her newborn died in this medical hub — reportedly because of complete lack of medical care.

The government medical college is the only one within a radius of 150km and caters to the residents of eastern Bihar, Kosi area and Santhal Parganas in Jharkhand.

The death of the mother and her baby has already been probed. But the report has been rejected by health minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey, who also represents Bhagalpur Assembly segment.

“It was a matter of great concern. Prima facie, lapses inside the hospital were responsible for the deaths. I have been told that doctors were not available to attend to the patient. I had asked the hospital superintendent to give me a detailed report, which he has. But I was not at all satisfied with the report and asked him to conduct a fresh probe into the incident,” Choubey said.

The woman, Moi Tuddu, of Dabra hamlet of Boyarijore block in Godda district of Jharkhand, died around 4pm on Sunday. Family members said they were horrified over the gross neglect by the hospital. “The hospital is worse than the referral hospital at Mahagama block, where doctors at least take care of the patients,” alleged Moi’s husband Kallu Besra, a daily wage labourer.

Besra said they admitted Moi, who was expecting her third child, to the Mahagama referral centre on May 7. Doctors there in turn referred her to the Bhagalpur hospital, where she was admitted late that night itself in the general gynaecology ward.

“The woman’s haemoglobin percentage was very low. We administrated saline to her,” a nurse at the ward said on condition of anonymity.

According to the nurse, around 8 the next morning, Moi went into labour. “Unfortunately, the child could not come out fully from the womb of the mother,” the nurse said. “Such cases are critical and require surgical intervention for the baby to come out.”

Family members alleged Moi was crying in pain from 8am to 4pm when she died. “There was not a single doctor to attend to her in this hospital,” said Ramesh Hembrom, a relative of Moi. Patients at the ward confirmed, again on condition of anonymity, that not a single doctor turned up to take care of the woman.

The hospital staff and family members started searching for a doctor but since May 8 was a Sunday, not one was available at the ward. Even the driver of the ambulance who was given the job to bring a doctor in case of emergency was absent from duty.

Amid complete lack of medical care, the baby is reported to have died around 11am while the mother continued for a few hours more.

Hospital superintendent Binod Kumar has showcased two doctors, Punam and B.D. Singh, along with driver Abhay Ram. “Punam, who arrived six hours after she was summoned by the hospital, said since she has no driver, she got delayed. BD Singh said the patient was admitted in critical condition and her uterus was damaged earlier,” superintendent Kumar said.

Following the instructions of the health minister, Kumar has ordered an inquiry to be conducted by the head of surgery, Upendra Nath.

Sources said the hospital has 650 beds but over 50 per cent of the posts of doctors are lying vacant for a long time. In the gynaecology ward, around 10-15 babies are delivered daily but only four doctors are attached, two of them on deputation from other centres.