Mumbai: Family members and friends of 35-year-old Deepa Maurya, who died of dengue after delivering a baby boy, staged a protest outside Bhandup police station on Thursday. They demanded that action be taken against the gynaecologist and the maternity home where Maurya’s disease went undiagnosed.
Maurya succumbed on Wednesday at Fortis hospital in Mulund with multi-organ failure while her baby, who is also suspected to have dengue, is recuperating at Neo Natal Intensive Care Unit of Panchsheel nursing home.
Maurya’s relatives refused to take her body, but after the police assurance of a thorough investigation, they withdrew their protest in the evening. “It’s not dengue that killed my sister. It’s the negligence of Shrenik maternity home,” alleged Maurya’s sister Usha.
The relatives have alleged that the doctors at the nursing home did not suspect or diagnose dengue even as Maurya had fever. After delivery on October 16, her condition worsened and she was shifted to Fortis hospital where she had to be put on dialysis due to kidney failure.
Experts say dengue in pregnant women can be extremely dangerous as it may lead to bleeding complications. In this case, the relatives allege, no precautions were taken and a cesarean section was carried out which put the patient at further risk.
Post-delivery, Maurya’s platelets had fallen to 22,000. The normal platelet count ranges from 1.5 lakh to 4.5 lakh.
Her newborn too had to be put on ventilator and his platelet count had dropped to about 74,000. While the baby is now off the ventilator, he tested negative for dengue twice. However, treating doctors said he had all classic symptoms like high fever, rashes and bleeding. His platelet count has now gone up to 80,000.
Dengue has killed 14 people this year and infected over 400. However, over 4,000 people were admitted to various civic hospitals with dengue-like fever.