Baby dies after nurses attempt C-section while coordinating with surgeon over phone

A woman lost her baby on Tuesday (3 October) after nurses attempted a C-section delivery on her while coordinating with the surgeon over phone.

The incident happened at a hospital in the eastern Indian city of Bhubaneshwar in Odisha state. It was reported that Dr Rashmikant Patra was supposed to operate on patient Aarti Samal, who was admitted in the hospital after she went in labour.

But as the doctor did not manage to come to the hospital, he asked nurses to perform the C-section while he gave instructions to them over phone. The failed surgery claimed the life of the newborn.

The woman's husband, Kalpatru Samal, has filed a case of negligence against the doctor.

In his complaint, Kalpatru said: "When we contacted Dr Rashmikant Patra, he asked us to get her admitted in the hospital. He informed us that he is not present in the hospital but will coordinate with the nurses for proper care once we get her admitted in the hospital. He did not arrive even when the condition of my wife got critical."

He added that he did not know who did it "but my wife was operated upon and we lost our first baby. My wife's uterus is also damaged. The nurses said that they had coordinated with the doctor over the phone and had given their 100 percent. It is only because of the negligence of the hospital authority."

According to reports, an investigation has been launched into the case.

The incident comes almost a month after a similar kind of case took place in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan.

A pregnant woman awaiting an emergency C-section lost her newborn as the doctors scheduled to perform the surgery kept arguing with each other while she lay sedated on the operation table.

The surgery was reportedly scheduled because of the feeble heartbeat of the foetus, but the row between the doctors delayed the procedure, claiming the life of the baby.