Jaipur: The Rajasthan govt is facing scrutiny from opposition members after the deaths of nine postpartum women within a span of just six days at hospitals in Bhilwara and Banswara. The alarming trend follows previous cases of maternal deaths in Kota, Bikaner and Jodhpur, raising concerns about the state’s health care system.Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot described the situation as “alarming”, citing “gross negligence” after reports indicated that caesarean surgeries were conducted despite a positive infection report in the operation theatre. Gehlot claimed a critical shortage of surgical supplies — just five sets available for 30-40 operations in Bhilwara — and urged the Union Health Ministry to send an expert team to assess the conditions in govt hospitals across Rajasthan.In a post shared on social media platform X, Gehlot criticised the current administration, saying, “Has the BJP govt left Rajasthan to God’s mercy? Such incidents coming to light one after another show that the state govt is not bothered by all this.”Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully echoed these concerns, branding the state health system as “on ventilator” and accusing the state govt of “criminal negligence and insensitivity”. In his post on X, Jully demanded accountability from Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, asking, “Give an answer to the people of the state: Why have you left them to the mercy of God?” He condemned the govt for focusing on “false propaganda” instead of the well-being of its citizens.RLP chief Hanuman Beniwal was equally vocal in his criticism, saying, “Rajasthan’s dilapidated state govt health system is continuously claiming the lives of mothers.” He expressed outrage over the continuation of surgeries amid clear risks, calling it “not merely negligence but a gross failure of the system”. Beniwal further questioned the accountability of the health department, asserting, “Has the responsibility of the health department been reduced merely to issuing statements?”Despite the gravity of the situation, opposition members appeared oblivious to the maternal deaths in Banswara’s govt hospital, failing to mention the tribal victims in their statements.
