Srinagar: At a time when Kashmir is witnessing a steep spike in novel coronavirus infections, a gynaecologist at sub-district Hospital (SDH) Chrar-i-Sharif in Budgam district operated upon a pregnant woman without waiting for the mandatory Covid-19 test report, which has now come positive.

Kashmir Reader has learnt that the hospital authorities have closed down the maternity section while the staff that came in contact with the woman has been put under strict home quarantine.

The mother and baby have now been shifted to JLNM hospital in Rainawari Srinagar, which has been designated for Covid-19 positive pregnant women.

A resident of Pulwama district where her husband’s home is, the woman had come to her parents’ home in Chrar-i-Pora village in Chrar-i-Sharif for her delivery. She was admitted to SDH Chrar-i-Sharif on Monday and was subsequently operated upon the next day, a close relative of the woman told Kashmir Reader.

He said that the woman was operated upon on the basis of her negative Covid-19 test report done in June after her brother, a pharmacist, had tested positive for the disease.

Hospital sources told Kashmir Reader that the gynaecologist helming the Maternity section at the SDH went ahead with the caesarean without waiting for the repeat test report.

“Whether the report was awaited or she was not tested at all, she should not have been operated upon in either case,” sources at the SDH said.

They said that the woman should have preferably been referred to JLNM Hospital in Srinagar.

But the woman was operated upon by the helmswoman gynaecologist at SDH Chrar-i-Sharif “just because she wanted to take the credit for another LSCS (Lower Segment Cesarean Section) in order to amplify her work done record”, sources alleged.

“She had casually asked the expecting mother whether she had been tested negative for Covid-19, to which the latter replied in affirmative,” alleged a source.

But the relative of the pregnant woman told Kashmir Reader that they had told the hospital authorities about her previous test report wherein she had tested negative.

The relative further questioned why the hospital did not wait for the repeat test report after samples were taken for it, a week ago.

“But at the time of admission on Monday, they wrote ‘verbally negative’ on our file while the repeat test report was still awaited,” the relative said.

The Block Medical Officer (BMO) in charge at SDH Chrar-i-Sharif, Dr Mastoora, blamed the patients, who she said, “deceived” the gynaecologist at the maternity section.

She added that the gynaecologist “went as per protocol”.

“The gynaecologist could have waited, but the patient had deceived her,” the BMO said.

She further informed that the contacts of the patient amongst the staff have been put under home quarantine and will be tested on Monday, while the maternity section of the hospital including the Labour Room, the Operation Theatre and the post-operative ward have been closed for now as a precautionary measure and for fumigation.

A source at SDH Chrar-i-Sharif said that the helmswoman gynaecologist had put the staff and patients at risk due to her “negligence”, adding that many among the staffers were showing Covid-19 symptoms.

“There are general patients and then there are patients in the post-operative ward. Being at the helm of the section, she had to be cautious and should be held responsible for this,” the source added.

Irshad Khan