Another woman dies after C-section in Bikaner; toll mounts to 19 in 3 months

Published 15 July 2026 · health

A 25-year-old woman died at Bikaner's PBM Hospital on Tuesday after battling post-Caesarean complications for over a month, marking the third maternal death at the

A 25-year-old woman died at Bikaner's PBM Hospital on Tuesday after battling post-Caesarean complications for over a month, marking the third maternal death at the hospital in recent weeks and taking Rajasthan's maternal death toll to 19 in the past three months. Hospital officials said Kamla Meghwal was admitted to the intensive care unit on June 8. A diabetic and in her third pregnancy, she underwent a Caesarean delivery the same day. Read Full Story While both mother and baby were initially stable, she developed complications the following day and her condition deteriorated despite prolonged treatment. PBM Hospital Superintendent Dr BC Ghiya said a team of specialists treated Meghwal throughout her hospital stay.

"Her condition had improved at one stage, but later deteriorated suddenly. Our team made every possible effort to save her, but we could not succeed," he said. A senior hospital official said Meghwal had previously undergone two Caesarean deliveries, making another C-section medically necessary. The surgery itself was uneventful, but she developed complications on June 9, including loss of urine output, and was placed on dialysis. Although her condition briefly improved, allowing doctors to withdraw ventilator support, she later underwent another surgery related to her Caesarean stitches. She subsequently developed multiple organ failure and died on Tuesday.

Her newborn is stable, officials said. According to Dr Ghiya, six women developed serious complications after deliveries at the hospital in recent weeks. Of them, three died while the remaining three recovered and were discharged. Meghwal's death follows two similar maternal fatalities at the hospital. On June 19, 20-year-old Preeti died after developing post-delivery complications, while 26-year-old Sharda died two days later after suffering kidney failure and undergoing multiple rounds of dialysis. Hospital officials said all three women experienced cessation of urine output within 24 hours of surgery. The latest death comes amid growing concern over maternal mortality in Rajasthan, where 19 maternal deaths have been reported over the past three months—five in Kota, three in Bikaner, two in Jodhpur, and nine across Bhilwara and Banswara.

In response, the state government will launch a five-day statewide screening campaign for pregnant women from Wednesday. Principal Secretary, Medical and Health, Gayatri Rathore said the drive would focus on comprehensive antenatal screening and regular monitoring of key health indicators to strengthen maternal and child healthcare and help reduce maternal mortality. Ends