Chennai residents protest, at Ripon Buildings, the deaths of pregnant woman, sanitary worker

Residents and CPI (M) cadre protest GCC HQ, demand inquiry into death of pregnant woman, contract worker. Widower claims wife died due to absence of doctors at GCC hospital; brother of contract worker claims negligence of contractor led to death. Officials yet to take action despite four meetings with relatives of deceased. Officials yet to take action despite four meetings with relatives of deceased. Police arrest protesters.

Residents and CPI (M) cadre protested at the Greater Chennai Corporation’s headquarters, Ripon Buildings, on Thursday, demanding an inquiry into the death of a pregnant woman at a Corporation hospital, and the death of a contract labourer in a stormwater drain in Chepauk. The residents claimed that the two deceased persons belonged to the Scheduled Castes.

Pulianthope resident M. Kotteeswaran, who participated in the protest, said his wife M. Janagavalli, 28, died during childbirth because of the absence of doctors between 9.30 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. at the Chennai Corporation Urban Community Health Centre in Pulianthope on April 6, 2023.

“We have demanded an inquiry. The police have arrested me as I have participated in the protest at Ripon Buildings. All my relatives too, have been arrested,” said Mr. Kotteeswaran.

“I took my wife to the GCC hospital in Pulianthope after she complained of pains on April 6, 2023 at 9.30 a. Her delivery date was April 11. The hospital nurses asked us to relax, take a walk and wait. She also had lunch. Later in the evening, the nurses took my wife into the labour ward and called me within five minutes. I found my wife unconscious. The nurse asked me to push hard on my wife’s chest. There was no doctor,” Mr. Kotteeswaran said.

Following this, the nurses, he said, called an ambulance to take Janagavalli to the Egmore Hospital [Government Hospital for Women and Children]. But the ambulance workers took an ECG, and refused to take her because they said she was already dead, the widower said. “The hospital staff however, forced the ambulance driver to take my wife’s body to the Egmore Hospital. When we reached Egmore, the hospital doctors said my wife and baby were brought dead. Had they informed me about the absence of doctors, I would have taken her to the Egmore Hospital in the morning,” said Mr. Kotteeswaran.

Mr. Kotteeswaran said that he recently received a call on his wife’s mobile phone to collect her certificates of Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Technology from her college. “My wife herself was planning to work at a hospital after childbirth. Her hope never came true,” he said.  

Relatives of a contract worker, N. Kanagaraj, 37, claimed that he had died because of the negligence of the Chennai Corporation contractor who implemented stormwater drain work in Chepauk. “Kanagaraj used to take care of our parents. Our old parents have started work as daily wage labourers now. They need to be compensated. Kanagaraj was about to get married this July, but he died because of negligence of a few persons,” said N. Dhanasekaran, a resident of K.P. Park Kanagaraj’s brother.