Aizwal – The death of three pregnant women in Kolasib district, allegedly due to delay in blood transfusion, created a furore in the state on Wednesday after the husband of one of the victims filed an FIR.
Dr Lalchungnunga, chief medical officer of the district, disclosed the maternity deaths at the February 13 meeting of the District Vigilance and Monitoring Committee chaired by the state’s Lok Sabha member C L Ruala. “One of the patients could not be given blood as her relatives could not pay,” the CMO was quoted as saying in a local daily. The government has been selling blood for Rs 550 per bag.
Steve Lalhruaichhuaka filed an FIR at the Kolasib police station on February 14 saying his wife Babie Zothanpari died at the Kolasib District Hospital on February 3 after she was denied blood transfusion for hours. She delivered a baby at 6.55 pm on February 3 and at around 8pm he was asked to get three more units of blood.
“The hospital staff told me I had to pay Rs 1,650 for the three units,” he said, adding that he only had Rs 700 in his wallet, reported The Timesofindia.
He said he went to the ATM but since it was not functioning he returned to the hospital and pleaded with them to give the blood. “I appealed to them to give my wife at least one unit during which I would be able to arrange the money but they refused,” he claimed. He said Dr Lalhminghlua wrote in the death certificate that she died due to ‘hypovolaemic’ and ‘neurogeric shock’. State health minister Lal Thanzara, however, refuted the charges and said three units of blood were given to the patient but she died after one-and-a-half units were administered.