Another maternal death in Ballari, Karnataka health minister says 'ready to resign'
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Bengaluru/Ballari (PTI): Another maternal death has been reported at the Ballari Medical College and Research Centre (BMCRC), bringing the total number of such fatalities in the past month to five.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday assured that an investigation would be conducted into the death that took place on December 5 night, while Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao stated he was willing to "resign" if it would help improve the situation.
According to information received, 23-year-old Kolmi Sumaiya was admitted to the hospital on November 11 and underwent a cesarean section. She later developed complications that led to renal failure, senior health department officials told PTI.
"Following the C-section, complications arose, requiring her to be placed on dialysis. She passed away on Thursday," an official said.
The officer stated that there were seven complicated delivery cases, of which two patients were discharged, while five, including the recent case, lost their lives in the past month.
He added that all the newborns in these cases were healthy.
According to a note issued by the health department, on December 5, the patient experienced persistent hypotension, despite being on double inotropes and suffered cardiac arrest at 7.45 pm.
"Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) was administered in three cycles, but despite all efforts, the patient succumbed at 8.10 pm," the note stated.
According to the health department, between November 9 and 11, four maternal deaths were reported at the district hospital in Ballari. It was noted that the Ringer Lactate (RL) batches supplied by a West Bengal-based pharma company had been used.
Siddaramaiah assured that the matter would be investigated. "We will determine the cause of the death. Maternal deaths occur in many places," he told reporters in Bengaluru.
When reminded that this was the fifth death, Siddaramaiah acknowledged he was aware of the situation.
"I have conducted a meeting and suspended officials from the drugs control department. We will investigate this case, as well to determine whether medicines or any other reason caused it," he said.
On his part, Minister Rao told reporters in Bengaluru, "I am ready to resign if it can set things right. This is not about prestige or power; it is about people's lives. We have taken the maternal deaths in Ballari very seriously and implemented legal steps and measures to bring improvements."
Rao further said he had no objection to an investigation into the matter.
"A probe must be conducted, and anyone found responsible should face action. We are committed to making all necessary efforts to improve the system. I even seek the opposition's support in this," he stated.
Emphasising that the investigation should identify where the mistakes occurred and why they persisted, Rao expressed regret that such incidents have occurred in various parts of the country "without anyone being held accountable".
He highlighted that the health department had written to the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) questioning why it was certifying drugs "rejected by Karnataka".
"You approve drugs that we reject. What are we supposed to do next? We can’t blacklist the company or reject their products outright because they might then approach the court claiming their product is safe. What should be the next step, and who is responsible for this?" Rao questioned, stressing the need for a "third-party review of drugs."
Rao added that a team of officers had inspected the West Bengal-based drug manufacturer Panschim Banga’s facility and was directed to submit a report.
"They have inspected because we need to prosecute the drug manufacturer. We are moving forward with legal action," he said.
Meanwhile, the Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, R Ashoka, criticised the ruling Congress government over the maternal deaths at BMCRC.
"The Congress government boasts about giving Rs 2,000 per month to women heads of BPL families under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, but now women are saying they don’t want Rs 2,000—they want justice," Ashoka said at a press conference.
He added that the people of Karnataka demand justice, and as the Leader of the Opposition, he supports this demand.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
