Rajasthan's C-Section Tragedy: Eight Mothers Dead, Demands for Central Probe Intensify

A alarming crisis has hit Rajasthan public healthcare system, with at least six women dying after Caesarean-section deliveries at Mahatma Gandhi Government Hospital in Bhilwara, and two more in Banswara, triggering widespread outrage and calls for accountability. Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has demanded an urgent Central probe by the Union Health Ministry, citing potential gross negligence and a deteriorating healthcare infrastructure. Hospital authorities in Bhilwara initially confirmed detection of Operation Theatre (OT) infection, though a preliminary report later attributed deaths to varied medical complications. The tragedy compounds earlier maternal deaths in Kota, Bikaner, and Jodhpur, painting a grim picture of patient safety across the state. Allegations include inadequate infection control and critical infrastructure lapses, such as performing 30-40 C-section daily with only five surgical sets at the Bhilwara hospital. While hospital officials deny Medical negligence, attributing fatalities to pre-existing conditions like Anaemia and Hypertension or rare complications like Postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) and Myocardial Infarction, families of the deceased are actively protesting, demanding answers. Rajasthan Medical and Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar has vowed serious action, dispatching expert teams to investigate and convening a meeting of gynaecologists for corrective measures. With the affected OTs in Bhilwara temporarily shut, the focus now shifts to the findings of multiple inquiry committees and the Union Health Ministry potential intervention. This ongoing crisis underscores the urgent need to address systemic failures in maternal healthcare across Rajasthan, ensuring such preventable tragedies do not recur.