Kolkata, Jan 13 (IANS): A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Calcutta high court, praying for a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the death of a young woman, two days after she gave birth, at the Midnapore Medical College, on Friday.
Four other women, who also delivered through C-section, are serious. Three of them were shifted to the premier SSKM Hospital in Kolkata.
Vijay Kumar Singhal, the petitioner, has submitted in the PIL that he has no faith in the police or a probe by health department officials as the death of Mamoni Ruidas points to systemic failures in quality control and healthcare administration.
"This incident reflects broader concerns about public healthcare safety, systemic corruption, and inadequate accountability," Singhal has stated.
While the exact cause of Mamoni’s death and the kidney and liver damage suffered by the others is yet to be established, allegations have been raised – even by a section of doctors – that poor quality Ringer's Lactate was administered.
Ringer's Lactate is administered as an intravenous drip to replenish fluid loss after C-sections and other surgeries.
In his PIL, Singhal, a chartered accountant by profession, has accused the administration as well as the pharmaceutical company that supplied the intravenous drip. He has cited media reports to allege that the same company supplied Ringer's Lactate to the health department of Karnataka and this fluid was linked to the death of four women in that state in 2024.
The company has been blacklisted by the Karnataka government since. A criminal case has also been registered against the company, Singhal claimed.
"The state of Karnataka also issued a letter to the Drugs Controller General of India to investigate the Standard Quality (SQ) certification issued to the company by the Central Drugs Laboratory, Kolkata. Subsequently, the company was directed to stop operations till 'rectification of deficiencies'. After this, the government of West Bengal also banned use of Ringer's Lactate supplied by this company. The tragedy occurred even after this," it has been further stated in the PIL.