Ground Report had earlier reported the story of a woman from Piplya village in Rajgarh district, Madhya Pradesh.
The woman had undergone a sterilization operation in 2022, which failed, and she became pregnant again in 2025. Seeking compensation for the failed procedure, she walked nearly 10 kilometers from her village to the collector’s office twice. She continued to wait for relief, but on the afternoon of December 16th, she went into premature labor and delivered a stillborn baby. The baby weighed only 900 grams.
Dr. Rani Amkhare of the district hospital informed the Ground Report team that the woman had come to the hospital on December 16 for delivery. It was a case of tubectomy failure and pre-term delivery.
During the examination, the baby’s heartbeat could not be detected, making it clear that the fetus had already died in the womb. After delivery, it was confirmed that the baby had died a few days earlier. According to the doctor, the woman was in the peak labor stage, so no medication was given, and the delivery was conducted directly.
Adding to the tragedy, the hospital administration did not provide a mortuary vehicle to take the body back to the village. The woman and her mother-in-law stated that after the baby’s death, the hospital administration did not take responsibility for transporting the body to the village. Out of compulsion, the victim’s mother-in-law hired an auto-rickshaw and took the body to the village for cremation.
Three days later, when the woman was discharged, the Ground Report team intervened and arranged an ambulance to take her home.
Pregnant Even After Sterilization, Compensation Stuck in Files
The victim had undergone a sterilization operation in 2022 at the Rajgarh district hospital. She already had two children, aged around five and three years. And, she became pregnant for the third time in 2025.
As per government rules, she filed a claim for compensation for sterilization failure within the stipulated 90-day period. However, citing a “lack of official documents,” her case was put into a reopened status.
On December 2, the woman walked nearly 10 kilometers to the collectorate along with her mother-in-law. There is no means of transport to travel from the village to the city, and the mother-in-law so they had to walk, the mother-in-law told Ground Report
When she reached the collectorate, she informed officials that she had become pregnant despite sterilization and that she was seven months pregnant at the time. The complaint was forwarded to the civil surgeon of the district hospital for inquiry, but even after seven days, no concrete action was taken.
On December 9, the woman again went to the public hearing, but by the time she arrived, the hearing room had already closed. A disappointed woman then met the Ground Report team, after which she was taken to the district hospital’s RMO, Dr. Amit Koli, and later to the CMHO office.
File Found Buried in a Cupboard
At the CMHO office, official Ramkali Sisodia said that the woman was eligible and had filed her claim on time. However, her file was not even included in the list of pending cases. In front of everyone, a printout was taken, and her case was added to the pending list, with an assurance that it would be updated and re-uploaded.
On December 10, Rajgarh Collector Girish Kumar Mishra was informed about the entire matter. He assured the victim of justice and action against those responsible in front of the CMHO. During this period, the team also visited the woman’s village.
Responsible Officials Remain Silent
CMHO office official Ramkali Sisodia stated that the payment should have been made by December 17. However, the matter remained pending at the time this report was published.
Meanwhile, CMHO Dr. Shobha Patel claimed that the woman’s work had been completed the same day. Regarding the mortuary vehicle, she said, “Villagers do not even tell us.”
On serious questions such as the investigation into the sterilization failure, medical monitoring of the woman, malnutrition, premature delivery, the cause of the stillbirth, formation of an inquiry team, and compensation payment, the CMHO gave no clear response, either orally or in writing. The collector was also informed, but no response came from there either.
Had timely compensation, regular check-ups, nutrition, and medical monitoring been provided after the sterilization failure, it is possible that this pregnancy could have taken a different turn.
A 900-gram stillborn baby, the absence of a mortuary vehicle, and the silence of responsible officials raise a troubling question: Is Rajgarh’s health system accountable at all? What is needed now is not just assurances, but investigation, action, and the fixing of responsibility—so that no other woman has to lose both her child and her rights to the system in this manner.
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