3 Pregnant Women die after Surgery at VSS Medical, Burla

A massive outrage was triggered across Odisha following the death of three pregnant women at the VSS Medical College and Hospital in Burla hours after they went through Caesarean section. The doctors sought to pass the buck, saying the medicines provided by the government had side effects.

The CS surgery was conducted at around 5 PM on Friday. By 11:30 PM, all three women died, sending shockwave across the Sambalpur district. Health and Family Welfare Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak ordered a high level probe into the incident. The Director Medical Education and Training (DMET) rushed to Burla to make preliminary assessment.

The deceased have been identified as Sulochana Pradhan (28) of Chhualiberna village of Belpahar in Jharsuguda district, Kalpana Mahakud (26) of Banjibahali village and Kasturi Seth (25) in Bargarh district.

There have been a series of allegations against the medical apathy at VSS Medical College and Hospital in Burla. Many Doctors, who have been transferred to Burla from SCB, Cuttack, are reportedly avoiding duties and indulged in dirty tricks to spend more time in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack by using proxy, thus affecting the healthcare services.

Many departments, including Medicines, Gynaecology, Surgery and Forensic have been under the scanner, but senior professors are hand-in-glove with politicians and other officials to protect the erring doctors.