
In a shocking case of medical malpractice, a 22-year-old pregnant woman and her newborn lost their lives after an unauthorised cesarean section was performed by a self-proclaimed doctor at an unregistered clinic in Noorulla, Moradabad district, Uttar Pradesh. The woman, Pooja Saini, died due to excessive bleeding after the surgery, which was conducted by Rehana Parveen, a practitioner falsely claiming to hold a Bachelor of Naturopathy and Yoga Science (BNYS) degree—an academic qualification that does not authorise individuals to conduct surgical procedures.
According to SHO Pradeep Kumar Sehrawat, an FIR has been filedagainst the culprits with several sections related to reckless endangerment, forgery, and cheating. Additional charges have been framed under the Environmental Protection Act and the National Medical Commission Act. The charge of culpable homicide will be included after recording statements from the victim's family members.
After the incident, Parveen and her clinic staff ran away from the scene. An investigation led by a health department raid showed that the facility was working out of a residential property. It was also not registered under any authority. Dr. Saurabh Bartaria, the superintendent at this local community health centre, proved that Parveen did not offer original documents for her stated BNYS and B. Pharm degrees; she also mentions that these were the violations of the Medical Council Act.
Pattern of Medical Malpractice Across India
Similar medical malpractice by unqualified individuals has been reported in various parts of the country. In Kerala, a quack doctor was arrested after the death of a patient at a private hospital. He had been working as a resident medical officer despite not holding proper medical credentials.
In another Bihar case, a teenage boy died as a fake doctor performed surgery based on a YouTube tutorial. The unqualified practitioner attempted the surgery without the family's consent and ended up killing the patient.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Pragati Sakhuja/MSM)