New Delhi: Twenty-four women reportedly died during pregnancy-related treatment or childbirth in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, from April to October 2026.
This issue was uncovered in a Health Department report. The NHRC also mentions that over 3,000 pregnant women have been identified as high-risk in the district.
The deaths have highlighted the importance of antenatal care, identification of complications during pregnancy, and provision of emergency obstetric care.
According to the reports, the 24 women died in various government and private hospitals in Ghaziabad district. The Rajapur area had the largest number of women reported to have died (8), followed by Loni and Bhojpur (5 deaths).
According to a November 3 report by Amar Ujala, the geographical distribution of the 24 reported deaths was as follows:
| Area | Reported deaths |
|---|---|
| Rajapur | 8 |
| Loni | 5 |
| Bhojpur | 5 |
| Muradnagar | 2 |
| Urban area | 4 |
| Total | 24 |
The women reportedly died due to:
Excessive bleeding (10 women)
Severe infections (3 women)
Hypertension (3 women)
Various medical conditions (8 women) including anemia, heart attack, tuberculosis, and brain tumor.
These figures have been reported by the media. However, in the press statement from the NHRC, there is no mention of individual patient stories, or any detailed findings from the 24 deaths.
The NHRC states that if these figures are accurate, then they raise serious concerns regarding potential human rights violations.
The NHRC has sent out notices to:
Principal Secretary, Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh.
District Magistrate, Ghaziabad.
NHRC has requested to provide detailed reports within 2 weeks. The NHRC is also trying to get to the bottom of what happened with the deaths.
The report mentions issues related to three of the biggest complications in pregnancy; excessive bleeding, infections, and hypertension. These are also recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as some of the main direct causes of maternal death globally.
Women can quickly develop life-threatening complications if they suffer from heavy bleeding during or after labor. Post-partum hemorrhage (PPH) is one of the leading causes of maternal death.
If the woman loses a lot of blood, she may develop hypovolemic shock, where there is not enough blood circulating in the body to reach vital organs.
They may be given medication to stop the bleeding, blood transfusion, and emergency interventions depending on the cause of the bleeding. Early detection and correct treatment can be key.
Sometimes women can develop a serious infection during pregnancy, labor, and after giving birth. These can lead to sepsis. This is when the body has a reaction to an infection, causing issues with organs. If not treated quickly it can be life threatening.
If the woman develops a fever and increasing abdominal pain, then she should be assessed to see if she is suffering from an infection.
This is especially important if she has recently given birth or has had an obstetric intervention.
Early diagnosis, antibiotic treatment, preventing infections, and providing timely medical treatment is key.
High Blood Pressure isn’t something to ignore during pregnancy. Pre-eclampsia is one serious condition that can occur. This can affect the kidneys, liver, brain, and other organs of the mother.
In some cases, pre-eclampsia can develop into eclampsia, causing seizures. Regular antenatal appointments allow health professionals to monitor blood pressure changes and identify any warning signs.
Depending on the clinical situation, the woman may be given medication to lower the blood pressure, magnesium sulphate to prevent or treat seizures, and timely delivery.
Severe anemia can cause problems with the body dealing with blood loss during labor. Tuberculosis and cardiovascular conditions can cause further complications during pregnancy. Therefore, in such cases, a team of specialists need to work together with the woman giving birth.
A woman may be classed as having a high-risk pregnancy due to a pre-existing condition such as hypertension, diabetes or severe anemia. Other reasons may be multiple pregnancies or complications during pregnancy.
Therefore, she may need to attend more antenatal appointments, undergo investigations, attend specialist appointments or deliver at a hospital.
A high-risk pregnancy identified at a health center needs to be kept under review by healthcare professionals. This is because if appointments aren’t attended, referrals aren’t made in time or the woman can’t get to a well-equipped hospital complications may not be dealt with.
With over 3000 high-risk pregnancies in Ghaziabad it’s important to understand how they’re being monitored and what is in place for emergencies.
According to Amar Ujala, Ghaziabad Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sachin Chandra Vaishya said that strict instructions had been issued to all health centers to ensure proper care and treatment for women with high-risk pregnancies. The report also stated that three sets of instructions had been issued over the preceding three months regarding the monitoring and regular follow-up of these women.
India has a formal system called Maternal Death Surveillance and Response (MDSR), which is intended to help health authorities understand why maternal deaths occur and identify measures to prevent similar deaths.
According to the National Health Mission (NHM), MDSR has been implemented and institutionalized across states and Union Territories since 2017. The framework includes facility-based and community-based maternal death reviews. States and Union Territories are expected to report maternal deaths along with analyses of their causes. Maternal near-miss reviews are also conducted at premier institutions.
These reviews can help identify gaps in healthcare, including delays in recognizing complications, delays in referring women to higher-level facilities and problems with access to emergency obstetric care. They also help authorities identify where improvements in maternal healthcare services are needed.
In Ghaziabad, reviewing the reported deaths could help establish whether timely diagnosis, appropriate referrals and access to emergency treatment were available to the women. However, the available reports do not establish whether any specific gaps in care contributed to these deaths.
References:
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3. International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH). ICH E6(R3) Guideline for Good Clinical Practice: Annex 2. Adopted June 3, 2026. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/scientific-guidelines/ich-e6-good-clinical-practice.
4. Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019. G.S.R. 227(E), March 19, 2019. Central Drugs Standard Control Organization. https://cdsco.gov.in/opencms/resources/UploadCDSCOWeb/2022/new_DC_rules/New%20Drugs%20and%20Clinical%20Trials%20Rules%2C%202019.pdf.
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