Artificially impregnated woman dies in Jalpaiguri, CMOH orders probe

Pramod Giri, HT, 19 July 2016, Siliguri: The Chief Medical Officer of Health Jalpaiguri district has set up an enquiry committee to look into the death of a woman, who was impregnated artificially through intrauterine insemination (IUI) in a private nursing home in Jalpaiguri town.
The doctors in the nursing home had also operated the foetus out of the dead body without permission. No nursing home in Jalpaiguri has the permission or infrastructure to carry out IUI or In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF).
Chandrani Saha (27), a resident of Sakoapara in Dhupguri block of Jalpaiguri district, was under the treatment of Dr PK Burma, the owner of a private nursing home in Jalpaiguri. Chandrani was impregnated artificially through intrauterine insemination (IUI).
Soon she developed breathing problems and complications, said her husband Rajesh Saha. On Monday, she was admitted in Burma’s nursing home for treatment. As her condition deteriorated, Rajesh brought her to a Siliguri nursing home as per Burma’s suggestion.
She died on Monday night. The body was taken to Burma’s nursing home in Jalpaiguri where he reportedly instructed other doctors to take out the foetus. The private nursing home in Siliguri where she died had issued the death certificate.
Prakash Mridha, CMOH of Jalpaiguri, said, “No nursing home in Jalpaiguri has the permission or infrastructure to carry out IUI or IVF. If a fetus is to be operated out of a body, the administration should be informed first.” He said the private nursing home in Jalpaiguri had violated both the rules.
A four-member committee has been constituted, Mridha said.