A 28-year-old pregnant woman from Bageshwar, Uttarakhand died on Friday morning after her family delayed seeking medical attention due to local superstitions.
Komal Bagdwal, who was eight months pregnant, began experiencing severe headache and body pain on Thursday night. Instead of immediately taking her to the hospital, her family chose to consult spiritual healers, believing her condition was caused by a "divine affliction." It wasn’t until the following morning that Komal was rushed to the district hospital, but she tragically passed away just 30 minutes after arrival.
Dr. Rajeev Upadhyay, who attended to Komal at the hospital, revealed that her blood sugar levels had dangerously spiked to over 400. He also noted that Komal had missed three essential prenatal checkups, which contributed to the severity of her condition. These missed medical assessments, combined with the delay in treatment, ultimately proved fatal.
Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) Uma Agri, who had been overseeing Komal's regular checkups, shared that all of Komal's vital signs, including blood pressure and sugar levels, had been normal just two days before the incident. At that time, both the mother and child were in good health, making the sudden deterioration of her condition all the more shocking.
Komal is survived by her husband, Diwan Bagdwal, a local clothing shop owner, and their five-year-old daughter.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Dr. Sruthi Suresh/MSM)