What happened
Nine women died after Caesarean and other gynaecological surgeries at two government hospitals in Rajasthan within one week. The deaths were reported from Bhilwara and Banswara districts, raising concerns about surgical safety, hospital preparedness, and post-operative monitoring in public facilities.
In Bhilwara, five deaths were reported at Mahatma Gandhi Hospital. An operating theatre was closed after a microbiology sample was found unsatisfactory. In Banswara, four women, including a minor, died between July 7 and 10 after surgery.
Official response
The Health Minister said specialist teams had been sent, a review meeting with gynaecologists would be held, and he would visit Bhilwara. The minister also said the preliminary probe had not linked the deaths to an operating-theatre infection and suggested that the women died from different complications, including heart attack, shock, pulmonary embolism, HELLP syndrome, and postpartum haemorrhage.
Why this matters for UPSC
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