Thiruthuraipoondi, Tamil Nadu, January 24, 2026: A 27-year-old pregnant woman, Abina from Edaiyur, died at Thiruthuraipoondi Government Hospital on Wednesday, January 21, 2026. Her family alleged that no doctors were present when she was admitted the previous day. This led to protests by the family over alleged medical negligence.
Medical negligence occurs when a doctor fails to provide reasonable care and skill, breaching the standard of care toward a patient and causing injury or harm. Similar cases in India have raised concerns over patient safety, especially for pregnant women.1
Abina, who was two months pregnant, was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday evening after experiencing abdominal pain. Relatives stated that no doctor was on duty at the time, and only nurses attended to her until a doctor arrived, who reportedly confirmed her death.
Following the incident, Abina’s relatives staged a sit-in protest at the hospital. Police intervened and arranged for her body to be sent to Tiruvarur Medical College Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Authorities have assured that appropriate action will be taken. On Thursday, January 22, 2026, the family protested in front of the Tiruvarur district collectorate, submitting a petition requesting compensation and a government job.
In a previous incident in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, a pregnant woman, Chandni Kumari, died after falling from an operation theatre (OT) table at Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College & Hospital. She was admitted with labour pain on the night of November 1, 2025, and reportedly slipped while stepping down from the OT table.
Her family alleged that no doctor was present during the incident and that delivery was to be handled only by nurses. She was transferred to a private hospital, where both she and her unborn child were declared dead. According to hospital officials, the fall occurred because the woman's attendants failed to support her properly while she was on the bed.
After that, the hospital premises were reportedly vandalized by the relatives of the deceased, who demanded compensation. They refused to allow a post-mortem examination, and took the body away from the facility.
Reference:
1. Ravi, Kirthika; Devnath, Gerard P.; James, Ranjit I.. Medical Negligence In India: Urgent Call For Comprehensive Data, Tort Reforms, And Cultural Transformation To Revitalize Healthcare System. Medical Journal of Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth 17(2):p 259-261, Mar–Apr 2024. | DOI: 10.4103/mjdrdypu.mjdrdypu_601_23
(Rh/VK)