Rewa Woman, Newborn Die After Delivery; Family Alleges Negligence
Kalpana Mishra and her newborn died after delivery at a Rewa hospital. Family alleges negligence; two nursing officers suspended, inquiry ordered.
A 25-year-old woman and her newborn have died at a government hospital in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, hours after a C-section delivery, triggering allegations of medical negligence and a high-level inquiry.
Kalpana Mishra, a resident of Hatwa in Rewa district, was admitted to Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital on the night of August 25 for the delivery of her first child. She underwent a C-section the following evening. Shortly after the procedure, both she and the baby died.
A video recorded before her death has surfaced, showing Kalpana in visible distress, crying and pleading with her family. In the footage, she is heard saying, "If this kind of treatment continues, these people will kill me," and "I won't survive. Please save me, my life is in danger." The clip shows her attempting to leave the ward while nursing staff appear to restrain her.
Her father, Ramsharan Mishra, alleged that doctors ignored repeated requests to examine her. He also claimed that Kalpana never regained consciousness after being administered anaesthesia, raising suspicion of an excessive dose. "Kalpana was my only daughter. I had sold land worth Rs 15 lakh for her wedding. Today, she has left us," he said, demanding an FIR and suspension of the staff involved.
Following the deaths, relatives staged a sit-in at the hospital's main gate for nearly four hours, initially refusing to allow a post-mortem. After a two-hour closed-door meeting with hospital authorities, an agreement was reached for the post-mortem to be conducted by District Hospital doctors.
The administration has suspended two nursing officers on duty — Sadhana Verma and Seema Mujalde — on a prima facie basis. A high-level inquiry committee has been constituted to investigate the matter.
Hospital Dean Dr. Sunil Agrawal called the deaths "deeply tragic" and said action would follow the inquiry's findings. However, Hospital Superintendent Dr. Rahul Mishra rejected allegations of negligence, stating, "The woman was treated according to medical protocols. There was no negligence on the part of the doctors."
The incident highlights severe staffing shortages in Madhya Pradesh's public healthcare system. Official data for 2025-26 shows that over 72% of sanctioned specialist doctor posts in the state are vacant — only 1,495 of 5,443 positions are filled. Additionally, 2,689 of 6,513 sanctioned medical officer posts remain unfilled.