Published Jun 20, 2026 | 7:00 AM ⚊ Updated Jun 20, 2026 | 7:00 AM
Synopsis: The death of a 20-year-old woman and her newborn following a delivery at Gundala Primary Health Centre in Telangana’s Bhadradri Kothagudem district has drawn attention to longstanding shortages of healthcare personnel and emergency services in the state’s remote tribal regions.
The health department has launched an inquiry into the death of a 20-year-old woman and her newborn baby at a Primary Health Centre in Telangana’s Bhadradri Kothagudem district.
The probe was launched after the relatives of the deceased woman, Punja Vanaja of Shambhugudem village in Gundala mandal, alleged medical negligence and claimed that medical equipment was found along with her ashes after cremation.
However, district health authorities said complications during delivery had led to the deaths. They also pointed to severe staffing shortages and logistical challenges in the tribal belt.
Speaking to South First, Bhadradri Kothagudem District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) Dr Tularam Rathod said an inquiry was underway into the incident.
He said Vanaja experienced labour pain on the night of 12 June, but hid it from her family members. The family came to know of her condition the next morning and contacted an Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) around 10 am.
“The ASHA then called 108 ambulance services. However, there was a delay of about two hours before the ambulance arrived,” he said.
The ambulance transported Vanaja to Gundala PHC around 12.20 pm.
Vanaja was in the second stage of labour when she reached the PHC, leaving little time for referral to a higher facility, Dr Rathod said.
“At that stage, referral is generally not advised because it can create further complications. Therefore, the delivery was attempted at the PHC itself,” he said.
The circumstances surrounding the delivery sparked questions about the availability of healthcare personnel in remote government facilities.
The DMHO said the Gundala PHC has only two staff nurses against the sanctioned strength of four. On the day of the incident, one nurse was on medical leave, while another, a male nurse, had left after completing his night shift.
“Only a senior Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) was present during the morning shift,” he said.
Meanwhile, the medical officer was reportedly on field duty when the patient arrived and returned after being informed of the situation.
According to the official account, the newborn could not be revived despite resuscitation efforts.
“The delivery was conducted, but the baby did not respond. There was no foetal heartbeat or other signs of response. Efforts were made to resuscitate and save the baby, but the baby could not be revived,” Dr Rathod said.
Following the delivery, Vanaja suffered a perineal tear and developed severe bleeding.
Despite the ANM’s efforts, the bleeding continued, prompting a referral to the Community Health Centre (CHC) at Yellandu.
By the time she reached Yellandu, Vanaja had already lost a considerable amount of blood. The DMHO said specialists were unavailable at the facility, and she was referred to Khammam Government Hospital after receiving treatment for approximately one to one-and-a-half hours.
Although her blood pressure initially improved, doctors later determined that she had suffered severe postpartum haemorrhage.
“We call this postpartum haemorrhage (PPH). Because of postpartum haemorrhage and excessive blood loss, she died at around 9 pm to 9.15 pm on 13 June,” Dr Rathod said.
The incident has also brought attention to broader healthcare vacancies in the district.
Dr Rathod said Bhadradri Kothagudem currently requires 56 staff nurses but has been functioning with a shortage of 28 nurses. The district also has a shortage of 36 doctors.
“This area falls within the tribal belt under the ITDA Bhadrachalam region,” he said.
The controversy deepened after family members alleged that a surgical blade was discovered among Vanaja’s ashes following cremation. Rejecting the allegation, the DMHO said the object was not a blade but an artery forceps, a clamp commonly used during medical procedures.
“It was not a blade. It was an artery forceps. An artery forceps is used during treatment to control bleeding and to clamp cloths, drapes or bedsheets during procedures,” he said.
Dr Rathod said the instrument might have inadvertently remained attached to the body.
“Later, when the artery forceps were found after the cremation, people began claiming that a surgery had been performed. But no surgery was conducted,” he said.
He also noted that no post-mortem examination was conducted and said such an examination could have helped establish the precise sequence of events.
While the inquiry would determine whether protocols were followed, the incident has once again highlighted the challenges faced by healthcare workers in remote tribal regions, where vacancies, delayed emergency transport, shortage of specialists and limited critical care facilities continue to shape access to maternal healthcare.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
