Jaipur, May 9 (IANS) Taking an extremely serious view of the incidents involving the deterioration of health and subsequent deaths of mothers following cesarean sections at the New Medical College Hospital in Kota, the Rajasthan Government on late Friday night suspended one doctor and two nursing staff members who were found prima facie guilty.

In addition, a doctor serving on an Urgent Temporary Basis (UTB) contract was dismissed from service, while show-cause notices were issued to two other doctors.

Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma has directed that an impartial and expeditious inquiry be conducted into the matter, followed by stringent punitive measures.

Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar is also closely monitoring the situation and has instructed officials to ensure the best possible medical care for mothers currently undergoing treatment, said officials on Saturday.

Acting on the Minister’s directives, Commissioner of Medical Education Babulal Goyal visited Kota on Friday to conduct a detailed review of the sequence of events. He gathered information from the concerned doctors, nursing staff, and hospital administration, and reviewed the treatment facilities.

Principal Secretary, Medical Education Department, Gayatri Rathore, stated that the preliminary inquiry revealed prima facie evidence of gross negligence in adherence to medical protocols and procedures.

Accordingly, immediate action was taken against Dr Navneet Kumar, Associate Professor in the Department of General Surgery, who has been suspended. Dr Shraddha Upadhyay, Assistant Professor serving on a UTB contract, has been dismissed from service.

Action has also been initiated against the nursing officers who were on duty during the incident. Citing negligence in duties, failure to follow established medical protocols, and laxity in patient monitoring, Senior Nursing Officers Gurjot Kaur and Nimesh Verma have been suspended with immediate effect, and their headquarters have been shifted to Jaipur.

Show-cause notices have been issued to Dr B.L. Patidar and Dr Neha Sehra, Unit Heads in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

The notices seek explanations regarding possible negligence in supervisory responsibilities, monitoring of treatment protocols, post-operative surveillance, coordination mechanisms, and deficiencies in medical arrangements related to the serious incident at the hospital.

The Principal Secretary stated that continuous monitoring of all admitted expectant mothers is underway, and doctors have been instructed to ensure that every patient receives the best possible treatment under expert medical supervision.

She emphasised that patient safety remains the State Government’s highest priority and that negligence in this regard will not be tolerated.

Rathore further informed that the hospital administration has been directed to conduct a comprehensive review of operation theatre management, anaesthesia protocols, medicine distribution systems, and post-operative monitoring arrangements, and to implement immediate corrective measures.

Instructions have also been issued to fix accountability, strengthen supervisory mechanisms, and improve the effectiveness of the medical quality control system to prevent recurrence of such incidents in the future.

The State Government has ordered a detailed inquiry into the entire matter. Upon receipt of the inquiry report, strict disciplinary action will be taken against any official, doctor, or staff member found responsible. –IANS

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