A heartbreaking case of alleged medical negligence has emerged from Maharashtra’s Washim district, where a woman lost her newborn baby just minutes after delivery. The family of Shivani Vaibhav Gawhane, a resident of Palsakhed, has accused hospital staff of extreme carelessness and inhumane treatment, claiming it led to the death of their child on August 2.
What was supposed to be the most joyful day for Shivani and her family turned into a nightmare, with relatives now demanding that doctors and staff be booked for culpable homicide.
A Night of Pain and Silence
Shivani was admitted to a government hospital in Washim around 3 AM on Friday morning as she began to experience labor pains. According to her family, doctors initially examined her and assured them that all reports were normal and she would likely deliver the baby by 10 AM.
However, despite Shivani being in visible pain and distress for hours, the family alleges that no medical staff attended to her between 3 AM and 5 PM. Repeated pleas for help reportedly went unheard.
“We kept calling for nurses, for doctors, for someone to come check on her. But nobody responded. She was screaming in pain all day, and no one came,” said Lata Gawhane, Shivani’s mother-in-law, in a tearful statement to the press.
Too Late to Save the Baby
By 5 PM, Shivani’s condition worsened, and only then did hospital staff conduct a check-up. At 5:30 PM, she delivered the baby—but the doctors informed the family that the newborn had no heartbeat.
“She carried the baby for nine months. She cried in pain for over 12 hours in the hospital. If they had acted in time, maybe our child would be alive,” said her husband, Vaibhav Gawhane, struggling to hold back tears.
Allegations of Inhumane Treatment
The family has not only blamed the hospital for negligence but also accused the staff of inhumane behavior during childbirth.
“She was slapped on the cheek, and her stomach was forcefully pressed during labor,” said Shivani’s relatives. “She wasn’t even examined by a proper doctor—unqualified staff were allowed to handle her care.”
The deeply disturbing allegations have sparked outrage in the local community, with many demanding a full investigation into the hospital’s labor and delivery practices.
Call for Justice
The grieving family is demanding that the hospital authorities be held accountable for what they call a preventable tragedy. They are urging state authorities and the Health Department to initiate a criminal case against the doctors and staff involved.
“This is not just negligence; this is cruelty,” said Shivani’s father-in-law. “We kept pleading from morning to evening, but no one came. The people responsible for our loss must be punished.”
No official statement has yet been released by the hospital administration or local health officials, but sources say that an internal inquiry may be initiated following public outcry.
A Wake-Up Call for Maternity Care
This tragic incident throws light on the urgent need for accountability and reform in public healthcare facilities, especially in rural and semi-urban areas where systemic neglect often goes unaddressed. Maternal and infant care, which should be a top priority, continues to suffer from a lack of resources, qualified staff, and oversight.
As Shivani recovers from the physical and emotional trauma, her family’s demand is simple but firm: justice for their baby and safeguards so that no other woman has to go through what she did.
