Pregnant Woman Dies in Quack Doctor’s Clinic in Balodabazar
A pregnant woman has died under suspicious circumstances in a quack doctor’s clinic in Balodabazar district, Chhattisgarh, triggering anger and fresh debate over unqualified medical practice in rural areas. The woman, identified as Indu Sahu (26), was four months pregnant and had gone to the clinic of a self‑styled doctor who has no medical degree for treatment of cold and cough.
In the latest update, locals and health officials have raised serious concerns over the lack of medical infrastructure and the unchecked practice of unqualified or “zhola‑chhap” doctors in palli‑level healthcare. With no formal complaint filed yet and the body already cremated, the case is now being treated as a medical negligence probe
Who Was Indu Sahu and What Happened?
Indu Sahu was married to Ajay Sahu in 2022 and had a two‑year‑old son. This was her second pregnancy, and she was around four months’ gestation when she visited the clinic of Jayant Sahu, a village quack in Chherkadih Jara village, who also serves as the sarpanch of the same village.
According to family members, on Thursday, Indu first went to the clinic by foot because of a common cold and cough. The doctor was not present, so she returned home. Later, when she was told Jayant had returned, she again went to his clinic
Symptoms After Injection and Sudden Collapse
Jayant Sahu later claimed that Indu had cold, cough, and chest pain, and that her blood pressure was checked. However, he said he could not do “much treatment” because she had not eaten. She stayed at the clinic for about 15–20 minutes.
Within that short period, her condition worsened suddenly. She began vomiting and lost consciousness. Jayant told reporters that he gave her water, and she briefly regained consciousness, but she fell unconscious again. At that point, he allegedly sent her to the Community Health Centre (CHC) Palaria, located in the same block.
Doctor Admits No Medical Degree
Crucially, Jayant Sahu has publicly admitted that he does not hold any medical degree and has been treating people for around 17 years without formal qualification. This has intensified public outrage, with local people branding him as a “zhola‑chhap doctor” who is running a parallel clinic in a village that should ideally have access to qualified primary‑health staff.
Residents quoted by local media say villagers often turn to such quacks because of the shortage of MBBS doctors, long distances to CHCs, and lack of trust in rural dispensaries—a pattern seen repeatedly in Chhattisgarh and other states.
Condition at Palaria CHC and Cause of Death
When Indu’s body was brought to Palaria CHC, BMO (Chief Medical Officer) Dr. Pankaj Verma examined the case and stated that she had already died before reaching the hospital. He reported that blood and froth were coming from her nose, a sign of a severe acute medical event.
The BMO also confirmed that Jayant Sahu was present among the group that brought the body to the centre. However, no formal forensic or chemical‑toxicology examination was conducted, because the family later refused to allow a postmortem.
No Postmortem, Cremation Done
Hospital officials at Palaria CHC said the body arrived around 2 pm on Thursday, and the relatives stayed at the hospital for about four hours, discussing the situation. Around 6 pm, the family submitted a written application refusing postmortem, after which the body was handed over to them.
The family then took the body home and performed the last rites on the same day, cremating Indu without any autopsy or police complaint. To date, no FIR has been registered at Palaria police station, and therefore no formal investigation has started.
Family and Local Reactions
Indu’s mother‑in‑law, Kanti Sahu, said that when her daughter‑in‑law did not return home for a long time, she went to the doctor’s clinic and found Indu lying unconscious on her husband’s lap. She described the scene as shocking and terrifying, and alleged that the quack’s treatment had directly led to the death.
Some local eyewitnesses claimed that Indu started vomiting and collapsed immediately after being given an injection. However, no one has been willing to speak officially on camera or in writing, creating a wall of silence around the incident.
Wider Concern: Quack Doctor Deaths in Chhattisgarh
This case is not isolated. In recent years, Chhattisgarh has seen multiple deaths linked to unqualified doctors. For example, in Balod district, a young man died after a quack injected nine syringes in his private area to treat haemorrhoids, resulting in severe bleeding and infection.
In another case, a “bangali” quack in Janjgir‑Champa was sentenced to seven years in jail after a pregnant woman died following a wrong injection allegedly given without proper training. These cases together highlight how pregnant women and young patients are at extreme risk when unlicensed practitioners operate freely in villages.
Why This Case Matters Now
Several factors make this Balodabazar incident especially relevant right now:
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Rising rural healthcare gaps: Despite government schemes, staff‑shortage and over‑reliance on quacks remain persistent in Chhattisgarh’s villages.
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Weak enforcement of medical norms: Many “clinics” are run by non‑degree holders, and local authorities often act only after a death, instead of preventive action.
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Public trust crisis: When a sarpanch himself runs a quack clinic, villagers feel they have no safe alternative, even though it puts lives at risk.
What Steps Are Needed?
Experts and local activists suggest:
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Immediate registration of FIR and a magisterial inquiry into Indu Sahu’s death, including analysis of all drugs and injections allegedly administered.
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Systematic crackdown on unregistered clinics in Balodabazar and other districts, with named blacklisting of repeat‑offender quacks.
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Fortification of CHCs and PHCs with on‑duty MBBS doctors, tele‑medicine links, and awareness drives on the dangers of quack treatment.
Final Takeaway
The death of a pregnant woman in a quack doctor’s clinic in Balodabazar is a grim reminder that rural healthcare in Chhattisgarh remains fragile and vulnerable. Until authorities treat unlicensed medical practice as a serious crime and strengthen primary‑health access, such suspicious deaths are likely to keep repeating across villages
