Shortage of beds: Mother and Child Hospital in Ludhiana discharging women just 48 hours after delivery

Shortage of beds is taking a toll on the Mother and Child Hospital in Ludhiana, which is forced to discharge women just 48 hours after delivery against the stipulated time of 72 hours. The matter came to light during last month’s district maternal health review meeting when the death of a new mother, Shivani, was discussed.

It had come to fore that the woman was discharged just 48 hours after delivery, following which her health had deteriorated and had ultimately led to her death. Ideally, a patient must be kept under observation for 72 hours to monitor any post-partum complications.

Terming this as a gross violations of rules, the civil surgeon’s office has taken stock of the discrepancy and sought a reply from the senior medical officer (SMO) in this regard.

“We had sent a letter to the SMO, Ludhiana civil hospital, on December 26 and asked them to submit a reply on the matter,” said civil surgeon Dr Rajesh Kumar Bagga.

The Mother and Child Hospital of Ludhiana, with a 100-bed capacity, was inaugurated by health minister Surjit Kumar Jyani in 2014, and receives 800 to 900 delivery cases a month.

Currently, the unit has only three paediatricians against eight sanctioned posts. One of the three paediatricians is currently on a sanctioned maternity leave.

Last month, state health and family welfare minister Balbir Singh Sidhu, during a visit, had asked the hospital to submit a proposal of increasing the capacity of the Mother and Child Hospital from 100 to 200.