Two women died within 24 hours of undergoing Caesarean section deliveries at Rajasthan’s New Medical College Hospital (NMCH) in Kota, renewing concerns about maternal healthcare at the government-run facility. Reshma, 40, died on Friday night, October 16, after developing kidney-related complications following her fourth C-section on October 14. Roshan Bairwa, a high-risk patient from Baran with severe anaemia, died on Saturday, October 17, after suffering excessive blood loss following childbirth.
Hospital authorities said the two deaths had different medical causes, with NMCH Superintendent Dr Ashutosh Sharma attributing Roshan’s death to severe postpartum haemorrhage. Meanwhile, Dr Nilesh Jain, principal of Kota New Medical College, denied any connection between the latest fatalities and a similar incident in May, when 12 women reportedly developed acute kidney complications following childbirth and five died.
Reshma’s family has alleged medical negligence, and police have registered a case based on their complaint. The latest deaths have renewed questions about post-operative monitoring, emergency treatment and accountability in maternal healthcare.
Complications After Delivery
According to hospital officials, Reshma was admitted to NMCH on October 13, when she was 36 weeks pregnant and experiencing abdominal pain. She had a history of three previous Caesarean deliveries and excess amniotic fluid. Doctors performed an emergency C-section on October 14, and she delivered a live infant at around 8.41 am. Following the procedure, Reshma reportedly experienced mild postpartum haemorrhage, after which her blood pressure and oxygen levels dropped sharply and her heart rate slowed. She was moved to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where doctors administered medicines to support her blood pressure and circulation. Although some vital signs improved, her urine output remained critically low.
Her family alleged that her condition deteriorated after she was moved to the general ward and given an injection. They also claimed that she developed severe urinary complications and that her body began turning blue. According to the family, they sought further treatment elsewhere after her condition worsened. Hospital principal Dr Nilesh Jain, however, said the family took her to another hospital against medical advice, which he described as one factor contributing to her difficult condition. Reshma was subsequently brought back to NMCH, where she died during treatment late on October 16. Police registered a case based on the family’s complaint, with the exact cause of death expected to be established through medical findings.
Roshan Bairwa’s case involved a different set of complications. She was referred to NMCH from a private hospital on the evening of October 16 and underwent a C-section later that night. According to Superintendent Dr Ashutosh Sharma, Roshan was a high-risk patient with severe anaemia and was already in a vulnerable condition when she arrived. She subsequently suffered severe postpartum haemorrhage, a condition involving excessive bleeding after childbirth. Despite a blood transfusion, doctors were unable to stop the bleeding, and she died at approximately 11.30 am on October 17.
Sharma clarified that Roshan’s death resulted from excessive blood loss and was not linked to acute kidney failure. Her family reportedly submitted a statement declining an autopsy and further action, following which her body was handed over to them. The distinction between the two cases is important: although both deaths occurred shortly after Caesarean deliveries at the same hospital, officials have attributed them to different complications. Another patient, 30-year-old Anita, who also developed kidney-related complications following a C-section, remained under observation in the hospital’s super-speciality block, with her condition reported to be stable.
Earlier Deaths Renew Questions
The latest fatalities have brought renewed attention to the deaths reported at NMCH in May 2026. During that episode, 12 women developed acute kidney complications after childbirth, and five died. The cluster prompted scrutiny of the hospital’s maternity services and raised concerns about possible infections, post-operative complications and the adequacy of monitoring after delivery.
Investigations were initiated at the time, and medical authorities examined the circumstances surrounding the patients’ deteriorating conditions. The recurrence of serious complications at the same facility has intensified public concern, although the available information does not establish a common cause linking the May deaths to the October cases. Dr Jain has denied such a connection, maintaining that the two women who died recently were already critically ill. Doctors have also been investigating whether pregnancy-related conditions, including thrombotic microangiopathy and HELLP syndrome, could explain some of the complications observed in the latest cases.
These are potentially life-threatening conditions that can affect the blood, liver and other organs during or after pregnancy. However, the precise causes of the latest cases have not been conclusively established in the information publicly reported so far. Rajasthan has also reported other maternal deaths in government hospitals in recent months, including cases involving bleeding, kidney failure and infections. These incidents underline the need to examine each case individually while also assessing whether wider gaps exist in emergency obstetric care, infection control, blood availability and post-delivery monitoring.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Childbirth should not become a life-threatening ordeal because of gaps in healthcare, and every woman deserves timely, safe and dignified medical treatment, regardless of her financial circumstances or where she seeks care. At the same time, deaths following complicated pregnancies must be investigated carefully, without reaching conclusions about negligence before the evidence has been examined.
Families who lose loved ones deserve compassion, clear communication and answers about the treatment provided, while healthcare workers must have the resources, staffing and support required to manage emergencies. The recurrence of maternal deaths at a hospital previously affected by a serious cluster of complications makes a transparent and independent review particularly important. Authorities should establish the medical causes of these deaths, examine the availability and timeliness of emergency interventions, communicate their findings publicly and implement corrective measures wherever shortcomings are identified.
Any systemic failures must be addressed, and accountability should follow evidence rather than assumptions. Beyond individual investigations, strengthening antenatal screening, identifying high-risk pregnancies, ensuring access to blood transfusions and providing close monitoring after surgery can help reduce preventable risks. Public trust in healthcare depends not only on medical expertise but also on transparency, empathy and a willingness to learn from tragic outcomes. What steps do you think hospitals and health authorities should take to improve maternal safety and ensure that families receive clear answers when such tragedies occur?
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