A high‑level team from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), comprising specialists from AIIMS Delhi and AIIMS Jodhpur, conducted a detailed inspection of Kota’s New Medical College Hospital and J.K. Lon Government Hospital on Saturday to probe a cluster of recent maternal deaths and critical post‑delivery complications.
Scope of the inspection
The seven‑member expert panel spent nearly six hours touring operating theatres, labour rooms, intensive care units (ICUs), emergency wards, nephrology units, pharmacies, and record rooms at both facilities. The focus was on infection‑control measures, surgical protocols, bedside management of post‑partum women, and documentation of adverse events following Caesarean deliveries.
Deaths and complications
The inspection follows the deaths of four women in the past week due to severe complications after Caesarean sections, along with several others suffering kidney failure and systemic infections. Families have alleged lapses in sterilization, use of contaminated injections or substandard consumables, delayed treatment, and inadequate monitoring, though the official cause remains under investigation.
Government response and SOP overhaul
The Rajasthan government has ordered a high‑level mortality audit for mothers and newborns at JK Lon Hospital and tightened adherence to infection‑control and C‑section protocols in operating theatres and ICUs across Kota and Bundi districts. The AIIMS team is expected to submit its findings and recommendations to the Union Health Ministry within the next two to three days, after which new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and potential administrative actions are likely to follow.
Public and political reaction
The cluster of maternal deaths has triggered strong public outcry and political attention, with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla flagging the matter as “extremely sensitive” and demanding strict accountability. The state has also suspended 24 medicines and devices across public hospitals pending quality testing, amplifying concerns about supply‑chain and quality‑assurance lapses in the public health system.
What the probe aims to clarify
Key questions before the expert panel include whether the infections stemmed from contaminated consumables, lapses in OT sterilization, delays in initiating antibiotics or renal support, or weak adherence to existing obstetric protocols. Policy watchers say the Kota episode is likely to drive a broader review of maternal‑care standards and surveillance mechanisms in tertiary‑level government hospitals across Rajasthan and other states.
