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It was supposed to be a day of joy, new beginnings for Khusruddin Ansari who was going to step into fatherhood, but his happiness was crushed when his wife and newborn died allegedly due to medical negligence and organisational failure at Sushma Swaraj maternity home in Mumbai, NDTV reported.
There was a power cut at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) run hospital and the generator was not turned on for three hours, the report said. Doctors had to perform C-Section under the flashlight of mobile phones leading to complications and deaths of the mother and her child.
It's noteworthy that BMC is India's richest civic body with a budget of over Rs 52,000 crore, of which Rs 6,250 crore is allocated to health.
Ansari is a specially-abled and had been married to Sahidun (26) for 11 months.
Family members, who have been protesting outside the hospital for days, have alleged that another delivery was carried out in the dark after Sahidun's. They also have pictures of the second delivery, the publication reported.
'They came to get signature after making incision'
Ansari's mother revealed to NDTV that incision was made to the patient before signing the consent form. She further alleged the doctors had told her that Sahidun has had a fit and needs C-section.
"They had made an incision and then came to get a signature saying she had suffered a fit and a C-section was needed. That's when the power went out and they did not send us to another hospital even after that", the publication quoted Ansari's mother as saying.
She further added that her daughter-in-law's reports were all fine and that she was "absolutely healthy".
"All her reports were okay. They took her for the delivery at 7 am on April 29, kept her the whole day and, until 8 pm, we were told everything was fine. Doctors told us that the delivery would be normal. Then, when I went to meet her, I saw that she was covered in blood", she said.
'Referred to another hospital after death'
The family alleged that when the child had died, they raised concerns about the mother's death but the doctors assured them of her survival.
" The child died and, when we cried, the doctor said the mother would survive. They referred us to Sion Hospital, but she had died by then. There was no oxygen available either," Ansari's mother told NDTV.
'I want justice, they should be punished'
Grief-stricken Ansari called for the doctors to be held accountable and demanded justice.
He said that the staff should also suffer and that "they should be punished".
"I want justice. I earn a small amount and I am specially abled. I got married with great difficulty, my life has been ruined", he told NDTV.
BMC action
BMC has now set up an inquiry to probe the matter.
BJP's Jagruti Patil, former BMC councillor said that she met with Mihir Kotecha, candidate from Mumbai North East Lok Sabha constituency - wherein the hospital falls.
"The condition of the hospital is bad. Such complaints have been made about this hospital earlier as well. Strict action will have to be taken," she told the publication.