Young Swati of Rikhnikhal dies in Kotdwar hospital, shock waves across Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand is now twenty years old and those who ruled the state during the last twenty years viz the Congress n Bhartiya Janata Party , had ironically, always been making tall claims about the state progressing by leaps and bounds in all sectors viz health, education, industries, tourism etc. The present political dispensation at the helm and its CEO too has been patting himself for the state achieving record breaking targets in countering dreaded pandemic by opening hitech hospitals n providing the best medical care to its people. WOW. While all these tall claims are being made in the state running in fiscal deficit of several thousand crores , a hapless 23 year old pregnant woman Swati Dhyani of Rikhnikhal, Pauri Garhwal and several like her allegedly die while giving birth to infants in extremely pitiable conditions either on the roads or outside hospitals or in primary health centres devoid of necessary facilities, doctors n dedicated staff, medical equipments n medicines especially when the pregnant women in acute pain and trauma and their worried families in financial quandry run from pillar to posts for their treament but of no avail. There had allegedly been several such cases of pregnant women finally constrained to die either of excessive bleeding or other severe medical complications in view of medically, poorly equipped health centres bereft of adequate treatment.
Just two days’ ago a heart rendering incident of a most tortuous death of just a 23 year old women of Rikhnikhal block near Lansdowne in Pauri Garhwal district, aspiring to be an Air Hostess before her marriage namely Swati Dhyani came to light in social media, who, after complaining of acute pain of pregnancy met her sad end in Kotdwar hospital after having been denied adequate medical care n appropriate treatment despite acute labour pains in Rikhnikhal.
She allegedly died of negligent medical care leading to excessive bleeding. Her death send shock waves all over Uttarakhand, unambiguously exposing the sorry state of affairs in the hospitals and health centres in almost all the districts of Uttarakhand.
There had been umpteen incidents of pregnant women in acute pain being carried in palanquins or cots by men walking miles together in the absence of well equipped nearby health centres, hospitals b or motorable roads for hours together. Some allegedly deliever on roadsides or near hospials.
Several hospitals are running short of staff n doctors including majority of them going on leave in the block or district hospitals n health centres finally compelling troublesome families with pregnant women coming to towns like Kotdwar, Dehradun etc in several hours, hiring personal private taxies in case not getting ambulances, sometimes even, giving birth to babies on the way meeting the sad end or due to medical negligence or mishandling in hospitals.
The 23 year old pregnant Swati Dhyani of Rikhnikhal block was two days ago taken to local Primary Health Centre where she gave birth to a dead baby.
According to her family the PHC has not handled her case appropriately that lead to her dead baby’s delivery. In view of Swati’s badly deteriorating health due to the negligence by the primary health centre’s doctor or staff n not referring her to Kotdwar hospital in time, her family had no choice but to take her to Kotdwar where she allegedly died of excessive bleeding.
One can just imagine about the extremely sorry n pitiable state of affairs in the interior health centres n even in district hospitals where pregnant women are not being rendered best possible treatment n rude behaviour of the staff as winessed in late Swati Dhyani’s case.
The unfortunate death of merely 23 year old Swati Dhyani n her baby definitely exposes the prevailing appalling n alarming situation/ conditions of medical care n services in Uttarakhand hospitals where women especially those pregnant are the most vulnerable lot apart from critical ill patients.
The entire social media had been full of this grief stricken news exposing the state of affairs in the health sector of Uttarakhand which boasts of allocating maximum budget to Health services of the state but unfortunately the distressed people still stand at cross roads where they were 20 years’ ago.
The point is where are the member of parliament n local MLAs n what are they doing to set right the situation by ameliorating the grievances of women of the hills. Is it not the sole responsibility of the state’s health minister to take the responsibility to punish those guilty of negligence in the death of Swati Dhyani n several others as the right to live has been enshrined in our constitution and the safety of the health of the state’s citizen is the sole responsibility of the governments.
The state health minister is requested to penalise the CMO of Kotdwar hospital n Rikhnikhal health centre and provide adequate financial compensation to the bereaved family for this irreparable loss.
Our deep condolences to the bereaved family of Swati Dhyani n pray to almighty to render strength n courage to her traumatic family to bear this irreparable loss.
