A woman and her new born baby died soon after the delivery allegedly due to non-availability of doctors at a local hospital in Reasi on Monday. Reportedly, a pregnant woman, Reshmi Begum wife of Bashir Ahmed of Dewal Doga at present Dewal Marag was admitted to PHC Dewal after she complained of labour pain on Monday morning.“But since all the three posts of medical officers at PHC Dewal are lying vacant, the lower-rung staff attended the woman and later referred her to CHC Mahore,” reports said, adding that the woman being taken to CHC Mahore on a cot, delivered the dead baby midway and later died herself. As per locals, this is not the first case when a pregnant woman has died due to the lack of healthcare in Dewal Marag locality. They claimed that in January this year too, a woman had died due to want of staff at the PHC Dewal. “We’ve brought this matter to the notice of district administration several times, but the needful has not been done till date,” said one of the villagers. Meanwhile, DC Reasi, Indu Kanwal Chib has constituted a two-member panel to probe into the lapses that led to the death of woman and her newborn child. “I have also sought a reply from the Tehsildar concerned about why two precious lives couldn’t be saved,” the the DC said.
