A 26-year-old pregnant woman and her newborn died during a home delivery in Chhattisgarh's Surguja district, prompting concerns over maternal healthcare awareness and the risks associated with unattended deliveries. Health officials said the woman had been diagnosed with severe anaemia and high blood pressure weeks before the incident and had been advised to undergo treatment at a hospital.

The incident occurred in Sakariya village of Lakhanpur block, where Sukhni Majhwar was undergoing delivery at home on Tuesday morning with the assistance of a traditional birth attendant. Both the mother and the unborn child died during the delivery.

Following the incident, officials from the Health Department reached the village to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths. Acting on the directions of the Block Medical Officer (BMO), Rural Medical Assistant Dr. Vinod Kumar Bhargava recorded statements from the family members and conducted a preliminary inquiry.

Medical Examination Had Flagged High-Risk Pregnancy

According to the Health Department, Sukhni Majhwar had recently returned to her native village from Tamil Nadu, where she and her husband, Dinesh Majhwar, worked as migrant labourers. The couple returned home on June 14 when she was around eight months pregnant.

On June 21, the village Mitanin (community health worker) accompanied her to the Primary Health Centre at Kunni for a routine antenatal examination. Medical tests reportedly found her haemoglobin level to be 6.6 g/dL, indicating severe anaemia, while her blood pressure was also elevated, placing her pregnancy in the high-risk category.

Doctors advised her to report to the hospital the following day for an iron sucrose infusion and recommended further evaluation and treatment at the district hospital in Ambikapur.

Recommended Treatment Not Availed

Health officials stated that despite repeated medical advice, the pregnant woman did not visit the district hospital for further treatment and did not receive the prescribed iron sucrose therapy.

Nearly two weeks after the medical examination, she went into labour at home. Instead of being shifted to a healthcare facility, the delivery was conducted in the village with the assistance of a local birth attendant. During the delivery, both the mother and the baby died.

The Health Department maintains that timely medical intervention and institutional delivery could have reduced the risks associated with her condition.

Preliminary Probe Points to Severe Anaemia

Rural Medical Assistant Dr. Vinod Kumar Bhargava said the preliminary inquiry indicates that severe anaemia was the primary factor behind the deaths of both the mother and the newborn.

He stated that despite being identified as a high-risk pregnancy, proper treatment was not completed. According to him, the case also highlights the need for greater public awareness regarding institutional deliveries and regular antenatal care.

Health officials added that community health workers, including Mitanins, are being instructed to ensure that all pregnant women undergo regular health check-ups and are referred to hospitals without delay whenever complications are detected.

Focus on Maternal Health Awareness

The incident has once again drawn attention to the importance of institutional deliveries, especially in cases involving high-risk pregnancies. Public health experts have consistently stressed that conditions such as severe anaemia and hypertension require close medical monitoring, as they significantly increase the risk of complications during childbirth.

Authorities are expected to complete a detailed inquiry into the incident while continuing awareness campaigns encouraging expectant mothers and their families to seek timely medical care and avoid unsafe home deliveries in high-risk cases.