Villagers protest outside Kullu hospital over woman’s death after childbirth

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Kullu, June 29

Hundreds of villagers staged a protest on Monday at the Regional Hospital in Dhalpur, Kullu, demanding strict action against the doctors and hospital staff allegedly responsible for the death of a woman following childbirth.The demonstrators also burnt an effigy of Himachal Pradesh Health Minister Colonel Dhaniram Shandil at Dhalpur Chowk before marching to the Regional Hospital, raising slogans against the Health Department.

According to officials, security personnel had locked the hospital’s main gate to prevent the crowd from entering. However, protesters forced open the gate and entered the hospital premises, where they continued raising slogans. When they did not receive a response from health officials, the protesters surrounded the office of Medical Superintendent Dr Heera Lal. They demanded that the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) be called to the hospital.

Police personnel were deployed at the hospital during the protest, but demonstrators refused to disperse, insisting on immediate action.

The protesters alleged that Manju Sharma, a 23-year-old woman from Sunaru village near Bali Chowki in Mandi district, died due to the negligence of the attending doctor and staff nurse. They demanded strict disciplinary action against those found responsible.

According to the family, Manju Sharma was admitted to the Regional Hospital on 20 June for delivery. Doctors performed a cesarean operation, but her condition reportedly deteriorated soon after childbirth. Her relatives claimed they informed the hospital staff about her worsening health, but alleged that a staff nurse dismissed their concerns, saying the patient was “acting” or “creating drama”. Sharma died within 24 hours of the operation.

The family has maintained that they sought action from the Health Department immediately after her death. Although the department later constituted an inquiry committee following the family’s complaint, no report has yet been submitted regarding the cause of death, leading to growing anger among the victim’s relatives and local residents.

Baldev Raj Sharma, who identified himself as the deceased woman’s brother-in-law, alleged that medical negligence had claimed her life.

“Manju Sharma was my younger brother’s wife. She lost her life because of the doctor’s negligence. Despite this, no action has been taken against the responsible officials. Hundreds of people have gathered today to demand accountability so that no other woman loses her life due to the negligence of doctors or hospital staff,” he said.

Social activist Baldev Thakur also criticized the hospital administration, alleging that the operation was conducted in haste and that the patient was not properly monitored afterward.

“The hospital administration is now citing the formation of an inquiry committee, but no meaningful investigation has been carried out so far. The family and the villagers want strict action against the woman doctor found responsible. This will help ensure better treatment of patients in the future,” he said.

Thakur added that hundreds of people had joined the protest because they were dissatisfied with the quality of healthcare services in the region. He said the agitation would continue until justice was delivered to Manju Sharma and appropriate action was taken against those responsible.