Two more new mothers died at Mahatma Gandhi Hospital (MGH), Bhilwara, on late Wednesday night, pushing the total number of maternal deaths at the district's largest government facility to seven in July alone. Both women had undergone normal deliveries and were not flagged as high-risk pregnancies, yet succumbed to severe postpartum haemorrhage — a pattern now repeating with alarming frequency across Rajasthan.

Who the Victims Were

The first victim, Sugna Mohan Bairwa (22), a resident of Kotri, was referred to MGH from Shahpura after her blood pressure dropped sharply following a normal delivery at a smaller facility. She was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where she later died. Principal Medical Officer Dr Arun Gaur confirmed that Sugna suffered excessive postpartum haemorrhage, with her haemoglobin crashing from 10 g/dL to 1.8 g/dL — a near-total blood loss that proved fatal.

The second victim, Rani Bhura Banjara (18), a resident of Patel Nagar in Bhilwara city, delivered normally at MGH itself. According to doctors, she developed sudden, severe postpartum bleeding so rapidly that neither medication nor the surgical fallback — a hysterectomy — could be performed in time to save her life.

What Hospital Authorities Said

Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Sanjeev Sharma stated that neither woman had been identified as high-risk during antenatal care and that both developed unexpected complications after delivery. He confirmed that an inquiry has been initiated to determine why the deaths occurred despite the availability of post-delivery monitoring and emergency treatment at the facility. Investigators will examine medical histories, sonography reports, treatment records, and the precise causes of death.

The Screening Gap

During a recent week-long screening drive across Bhilwara district, health officials examined 2,210 pregnant women, of whom 500 — roughly 23 per cent — were identified as high-risk. Risk factors included severe anaemia, hypertension, diabetes, heart and kidney diseases, previous caesarean deliveries, twin pregnancies, and other complications. Notably, officials acknowledged that several of the recent maternal deaths involved women who had not been classified as high-risk, raising questions about whether current screening protocols can detect all vulnerable cases before complications arise.

A Widening Pattern Across Rajasthan

The Bhilwara deaths are not isolated. In May, five women died after childbirth at a government hospital in Kota. In June, six women developed kidney failure following caesarean sections in Bikaner, with two subsequently dying during treatment. In July, in addition to the seven deaths in Bhilwara, two more women died during treatment in Banswara. The clustering of incidents across multiple districts within weeks of each other has intensified concerns over the systemic management of postpartum complications and emergency obstetric care in Rajasthan's public health infrastructure.

With an official inquiry now under way and no immediate policy response announced, the pressure on the state's health administration to account for the recurring failures is set to grow.