Rajasthan Health Minister about women diagnosed with kidney failure after childbirth in Bikaner have kicked up a political row in the state, with the Opposition Congress calling the remarks “callous”.
While visiting Bikaner’s Prince Bijay Singh Memorial (PBM) Hospital — where five such women were diagnosed this week — the minister said all five had been unwell at the time of their admission. The remarks came days after five women died of post-operative kidney failure following childbirth in Kota, in a case for which the government has sought a report.
“Mahilaiyen gambhir halat main aayi thi. Principal sahab, aap bataiye, pregnant mahilayen kis halat main aayi thi. Paidal aayin thi ya naachte hue aayin thi,” (They were already serious when they were admitted here. Principal sir, you tell us, how were the women when they were admitted here? Were they already unwell when they came in, or did they come dancing?)
He went on to say: “Healthcare workers save numerous lives every day, but such efforts often go unnoticed. We save so many lives, yet you don’t mention that. You focus on mortality rates. Out of 1,000 patients, two might die while the rest recover and go home; you don’t talk about that.”
The remarks were deemed callous by the Congress. “The Health Minister’s comment—suggesting that women in labour ‘come dancing’—is not only the height of insensitivity but also a gross insult to motherhood,” Opposition leader Tikaram Jully said.
He went on to say: “The minister ought to understand that what women in labour need at such a time is not taunts about singing and dancing, but rather safe deliveries and better healthcare facilities in hospitals”.
“The condition of government hospitals in the state has deteriorated to the point where women in labour are unable to even access stretchers. The Health Minister is resorting to such irresponsible rhetoric to mask his own failures, which is utterly shameful. He must immediately apologize to the people of the state and to women for this statement,” said Jully, adding that it was “nothing new for BJP leaders to make such shameful and undignified remarks against women; such behaviour reflects their intellectual bankruptcy”.
On Thursday, Congress workers held protests against the “degrading medical conditions of Rajasthan” and attempted to enter the hospital premises. Videos from the protests show police scuffling with demonstrators.
Five women admitted to PBM Government Hospital in Bikaner developed severe complications, including kidney failure, earlier this week. This comes days after five women died of maternal health complications following C-section deliveries at a government hospital in Kota. The Rajasthan government has maintained that the two incidents were unrelated and that the women were admitted under “different circumstances”.
The women at the Bikaner hospital are stated to be stable.
