Indian mother and newborn die in botched C-section delivery by drunken doctor

Indian mother and newborn die in botched C-section delivery by drunken doctor

A doctor from the western Indian state of Gujarat was arrested on Tuesday (Nov 27) for allegedly performing a caesarean delivery on a 22-year-old woman while drunk.

Local media reports say that the newborn girl was declared dead soon after the botched C-section and her mother died shortly after, prompting family members to accuse the doctor of negligence.

The woman, Ms Kamini Chanchi, was taken to the Sonawala Hospital in Botad district late on Monday night with labour pains.

Dr P. J. Lakhani, a senior doctor at the government-run hospital for 15 years, attended to her.

But later, family members were told that the baby had died while the mother was bleeding profusely.

They decided to shift the woman to a private hospital, but she died on the way.

According to the BBC, a breathalyser test was carried out to confirm that the doctor was drunk.

"He was first booked under the Prohibition Act and was arrested. His blood sample was sent for testing," Botad police superintendent Harshad Mehta told news magazine India Today on Wednesday.

He added that Ms Chanchi's body was sent to the Bhavnagar Civil Hospital for a post-mortem, and the autopsy report will be given to a committee that is investigating the cause of death.

The committee is formed by the hospital and headed by a civil surgeon.

The India Today added that the doctor could face additional charges if found to be negligent.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.

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