'My Wife Died Thinking Our Baby is Alive': A Family's Horrors at Nanded Hospital

Video Producer: Divya Uppal

Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam

"Why didn't they tell me if my daughter was sick? I am her mother. Why did they ignore my daughter? I want my daughter back," said Laxmibai Tompe (40), as she weeped, yelled and beat her chest outside the gate of Shankarrao Chavan Government Medical College and Hospital in Maharashtra's Nanded.

In a span of four days since her daughter Anjali Waghmare (21) delivered a baby girl, Laxmibai lost both.

Anjali and her baby were among the 31 patients who died at the hospital between 30 September-4 October allegedly due to lack of medical facilities, medicines, and staff.

Hospitalised after going into labour on 30 September, Anjali delivered the baby girl in the wee hours of 1 October. However, what was to be a week of celebration for the Tompe and Waghmare families has now turned into a period of mourning.

'The Dean Abused Us, Threw Us Out'

Hailing from Kurula village, Anjali was married in 2021 and had been living with her in-laws and husband Manchak Waghmare in Murambi village since.

For the last few months of her pregnancy, she had had been living with her parents in Kurula. Both families were awaiting the arrival of their firstborn.

"The last I met her was after the delivery. She was scared. She was complaining that her stomach hurts. The doctors later told that she is losing blood," Manchak told The Quint over the phone.

"The baby was in an incubator in another ward. I saw the baby once. But for some reason, they did not allow any of us to see either Anjali or the baby after that. We kept pleading with them. Every time we asked, they kept giving us hope saying that both of them are fine. Then suddenly, they handed over my dead baby to us," he said.

The baby's body was handed over to the family at 6:00 am on 2 October.

"Anjali was unwell, so we didn't tell her that the baby is no more. She died thinking our baby is still alive," Manchak said.

The family alleged that the hospital did not have any basic medicines or adequate hospital staff.

In the complaint filed with the Nanded police, Anjali's father Kamaji narrated their struggles in detail.

"After the delivery, they said that the baby and Anjali were in good health. However, by morning, they said that Anjali is losing blood and that the baby's health is also deteriorating. They then asked us to get blood and other medicines from outside. After we got the supplies, we could not find any doctors so I went to Dr SS Wakode, the dean of the hospital. He made me wait there for a long time. He did not send any doctor or nurse for help for a long time," he claimed.

"When I kept pestering him, the dean abused me and threw me out. They did not allow me to meet my daughter or the baby either," he alleged.

Manchak said that the family bought everything the hospital asked them to but "don't know if any of those medicines were given to Anjali or the baby."

The family was informed of Anjali's death at 10.30 am on 4 October.

'Bought Blood, Medicines, and Even IV Drip from Outside'

Speaking to The Quint on Thursday, Anjali's father Kamaji narrated the unexpected financial struggles they faced during the hospitalisation.

"Where do poor people like us go if not a government hospital? We were running from pillar to post to get the supplies. We went to a lab in Nanded city to arrange for the blood. We are poor labourers working on farms. The delivery was not supposed to cost us this much so we struggled to arrange for funds all of a sudden. The man whose farm I work at gave me money for the treatment. My wife sold off her gold earrings. But we lost both my daughter and grandchild despite everything," he said.

Anjali's brother Rajesh, who works at a brick kiln, said that they got 14 packets of blood from a private lab in Nanded city.

"There is no blood supply, IV drips, or medicines here. We spent Rs 45,000 on blood and other medical supplies. Yesterday, they asked for blood tests and other tests worth Rs 5,000. We arranged for the money immediately. But what's the use if nothing helped the patient?" Rajesh said.

"You call this a government hospital? This is a factory of extorting money. They should first get experienced doctors here and not let the young ones run it. We blame the doctors for the death of my sister" he said. 

Families Mourn; Hospital, Govt Face Ire

Dr Wakode and the chief doctor on Anjali's case have been booked under Section 304 (punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and Section 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

While 24 patients lost their lives in a span of 24 hours between 1-2 October, seven more patients, including Anjali, died on 4 October.At least 12 of the 24 deceased were infants.

The Eknath Shinde government, meanwhile, has been facing the ire of the Opposition in the state.

Congress leader and former Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan visited the hospital on Tuesday and interacted with families of the deceased, including Anjali's. The Youth Congress also collected funds and supplied basic medicines and equipments to the hospital, Chavan said in a post on X.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said: "I express my deepest condolences to all the bereaved families. The BJP government spends thousands of crores of rupees on its publicity, but there is no money for medicines for children? In the eyes of BJP, the lives of the poor have no value."

Meanwhile, CM Shinde on Tuesday denied claims of shortage of medicines at the hospital.

"The hospital had stock of 127 types of medicines. There was no shortage of medicines in the hospital. On the contrary, a fund of Rs. 12 crores has also been approved for the purchase of medicine at that place. There were enough medicines in the hospital, in fact there was an overstock," he said.

"We inquired whether there are enough doctors and staff. The deaths there will be investigated. Further action will be taken after enquiry. If anyone is found guilty, action will be taken against him. The state government has taken this matter very seriously," he added.