Published Feb 21, 2026 | 8:21 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 21, 2026 | 8:21 PM
Noushija
Synopsis: Noushija was admitted to the Pattambi Taluk Hospital on 16 November, and on 20 November, she complained of breathing difficulty and bleeding. Though she was referred to a private hospital, the pregnant woman breathed her last before receiving advanced care.
The Thrithala police in Kerala’s Palakkad district have registered a case of unnatural death following the demise of a pregnant woman.
The relatives of the woman, 29-year-old Noushija, alleged medical negligence at the Pattambi Taluk Hospital as the reason for her death.
Noushija’s death, and the allegation of medical negligence, came even as Kerala’s famed healthcare system came under fire due to multiple instances, including the case of a pair of surgical scissors left in a patient’s abdomen.
The equipment was removed from Usha Joseph on Saturday, 21 February. She had undergone a surgery at the Medical College Hospital in Alappuzha five years ago.
Noushija, a resident of Mezhathur, was admitted to the Pattambi hospital for delivery on 16 February. She had been under observation since she developed labour pain on 19 February.
On Friday, 20 February morning, she reportedly collapsed with breathing difficulty and heavy bleeding. Doctors referred her to a private hospital in Ottappalam, but she died on the way.
While her relatives claimed that she had no serious pre-existing health issues, doctors suspected a possible cardiac arrest. Her body has been shifted to Thrissur Medical College for a post-mortem examination.
The Palakkad DMO office informed South First that a meeting was currently underway. No internal inquiry has begun yet, and any decision regarding the formation of a team would be made after receiving the postmortem report.
Beneesh A, an officer at the Thrithala police station, told South First that a case has been registered under Section 194 of the BNS for unnatural death.
”Further charges will be added only after the post-mortem report confirms any serious lapses” he said.
A relative of Noushida alleged that the hospital authorities referred her to the private hospital only after her condition became critical.
”It was too late. If they had been more alert, she could have been saved. She had no major health issues. The claim of a heart attack can be verified only after the post-mortem report” the relative said.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
