[UPDATE: The Department of Information and Public Relations, Rajasthan, has clarified that both the woman and her newborn are safe.]
In another shocking case of medical negligence on Tuesday, August 29, two doctors at Umaid Hospital, Jodhpur engaged in a verbal brawl inside an operation theatre (OT) as a pregnant woman lay on the operation table with her stomach cut open for an emergency C-section.
In a video, which appears to be shot by one of the hospital staff members, the two doctors can be seen arguing loudly, threatening and abusing each other in Hindi.
#WATCH Rajasthan: Verbal spat between two doctors in OT during the surgery of a pregnant woman in Jodhpur’s Umaid Hospital (29.8.17) pic.twitter.com/eZfHHISQGB
— ANI (@ANI) August 30, 2017
The fight seems to have started when the obstetrician questioned whether the patient had eaten before the surgery. The anaesthetist reportedly tried to have a junior doctor conduct the tests, which the obstetrician did not agree with.
The newborn baby could not be saved and died because of “severe birth asphyxia” or breathing troubles, said the hospital’s top medical officer, reported NDTV.
“We recorded statements of all the staff present in the operation theatre. As far as the patient is concerned there was no lapse in treatment… The patient was operated within three hours of being admitted,” said Dr Ranjana Desai.
Both the doctors have been suspended by the government hospital, while the investigation is going on to find out whether the death could have been avoided if not for the fight.
“When the woman was admitted, the fetus was in distress. It had a low heartbeat. We will probe the reason for the newborn’s death,” said the hospital superintendent, as reported by The Indian Express.
India Today reports that the Rajasthan High Court has taken note of the incident at Umaid Hospital and asked concerned authorities to submit a report by 2 pm today.
The Logical Indian community severely condemns the behaviour of both the doctors. An operation theatre is not the place for ego clashes as a person’s life is at stake. The doctors were unethical in their jobs and disrupted the sanctity of the OT. The woman was admitted for an emergency operation and in a critical; the doctors ignored the seriousness of the situation which might have led to the death of the newborn. We hope that proper investigation is carried out and the doctors are brought to justice for their incompetence.
