Maharashtra: Mother of two dies days after tubectomy

NAGPUR: A 25-year-old woman, resident of Warora, died on October 18, days after she underwent tubectomy at Sirsi Primary Health Centre (PHC) under Umred block, some 70km from here. She had delivered her second child just two months back. District health officials said the mandatory gap of 48 days before this surgery had been followed.
Another 24-year-old beneficiary of the government’s flagship family planning programme is admitted at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) after a gap occurred in her post-surgery wounds. Two more women, aged 23 and 24, from Umred tehsil, part of the same tubectomy camp, are reported to be stable, officials said.
An emergency inquiry committee led by civil surgeon Dr Madhuri Thorat has been set up to probe the case. The panel will meet on Tuesday to audit the woman’s death. “The deceased woman was vigilant, as both her deliveries were done at PHC,” officials said.
The operating team comprised the taluka health officer (who performed the tubectomy), a health assistant, and two nurses. TOI is holding back names of the deceased and other women on a request from district health office (DHO).
The Sirsi PHC had conducted a routine sterilisation camp on October 13. The deceased woman had come to her maternal home at Sirsi when she agreed to voluntarily opt for the permanent contraception method following counselling by PHC staff. Though she kept complaining of nausea all through her hospital stay, she was discharged on October 16.
A team of health officials from DHO in the city visited the PHC recently to scrutinize all the records of her tubectomy. “We were baffled to see that she decided to travel to her husband’s home in Warora in such a condition the day after discharge. Her condition deteriorated the same day and she was moved to Chandrapur GMC, where she died of cardio respiratory failure on October 18 night. Her viscera samples have been preserved and the opinion on post mortem has been reserved,” DHO officials said.
The GMC case papers say her wound was clear of any infection. There was no discharge. Hence doctors sent the body for post mortem before informing Nagpur DHO. “Soft stitches were found healthy on the date of admission to Chandrapur GMC. No discharge was found from the wounds. Had she contracted infection, the wound would have developed pus,” officials said.
As viscera analysis takes time, the PM report is likely to take at least two months.
Officials said the recovery of tubectomy wounds depends on the health of the woman. “When immunity is low, nutrition is not sufficient, or protein intake is less, the recovery takes time. Death is rare post tubectomy. Wound infection because of gap in suturing the skin is the maximum risk,” they said.
In 2018, one death was recorded after family planning operation in Nagpur district. In that case too, no infection was found.
The 24-year-old Chanoda resident, who had a gap in wound, didn’t have any other complaints. “The sutures are removed on the 7th day after tubectomy. Mostly there are no issues but in case there are any gaps in the wound, we clean it and prescribe antibiotics. When the Chanoda woman came, she had gap in wound so we shifted her to GMCH,” officials said.