Days after stillbirth caused by delay, GCC commissioner inspects Kannagi Nagar UCHC

Chennai: Days after a 33-year-old woman gave birth to a stillborn baby at 8 months at Govt Kasturba Gandhi Hospital for Women and Children following an hour-long delay at the Urban Community Health Centre (UCHC), GCC commissioner G S Sameeran made spot inspection on Thursday.

The commissioner checked the attendance of doctors and staff, the availability of medical personnel, infrastructure, and facilities being offered at the UCHC. He also instructed officials to ensure that daily outpatient services begin as per schedule and referrals to be made according to protocol.

According to doctors at Govt Kasturba Gandhi Hospital, the woman, Mercy Stephen was critical when she arrived. The hospital’s director of social obstetrics Dr N K Mahalakshmi said her condition was stable. “Mercy’s first delivery was by C-section,” she said. “There were complications this time too, including internal bleeding when she arrived.”

“An emergency surgery was performed, and 10 units of blood components were administered. She is recovering and is doing much better now,” she said.

A resident of Kannagi Nagar Selvam said Mercy was taken to the Kannagi Nagar UCHC on Tuesday evening while in labour. “As there was no gynaecologist at the UCHC, she was referred to the hospital in Triplicane, located around 20km away,” he said. Protests broke out in Kannagi Nagar following the incident.