A 29-year-old woman died after childbirth at Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College Hospital in Hazaribag on Saturday, prompting her family to allege medical negligence and block a stretch of NH-33 for more than two hours while seeking action against those responsible.
The deceased, Sangeeta Devi of Nimadih under Charhi police station limits, had been admitted to the government hospital on Friday afternoon. According to her relatives, she delivered a healthy boy but her condition deteriorated during treatment in the early hours of Saturday. The family alleged that she complained of a burning sensation in her stomach after being administered an injection and died while doctors were treating her.
The relatives also alleged that doctors had initially indicated that Sangeeta would have a normal delivery but later performed a caesarean section. These claims have not been established by an official medical finding in the information available. The family’s allegations formed the basis of the protest outside the hospital.
Sangeeta is survived by three daughters and her newborn son. At about 11 am, protesters blocked the District More Chowk stretch of NH-33, disrupting traffic and demanding action against those they held responsible for the death. The road blockade brought the hospital-related dispute into a wider public space, affecting movement on one of the region’s important highway stretches.
Hazaribag Sadar MLA Pradip Prasad, Congress functionary Munna Singh and senior police officers reached the protest site. Prasad criticised the condition of government hospitals and blamed Health Minister Irfan Ansari for the state of public healthcare facilities. The report does not contain a response from the minister or the hospital administration to the allegations.
Munna Singh said he would raise the matter with Ansari and the Congress leadership and seek the formation of a team to improve the hospital’s functioning. The demand places the incident within a broader dispute over the operation and accountability of a public medical institution serving residents of Hazaribag and surrounding areas.
Hazaribag Sadar Sub-Divisional Police Officer Rupak Kumar Singh said the aggrieved family had been asked to submit a written complaint. “After receiving a formal complaint, police will investigate and take suitable action based on the outcome,” he said. The police investigation and any medical or administrative review will determine whether the allegations are supported by evidence and whether responsibility can be fixed.
