4 min readKotaMay 9, 2026 07:17 AM IST
In the courtyard of his one-room home in Kota’s Crusher Basti, a solemn Ravi Nayak stands folding up a yellow-and-red shamiana, meant for his 20-year-old wife’s funeral. Having just seen the last mourners out of his rented accommodation, the 21-year-old is taut with anger, grief and exhaustion.
“My wife had anxiety, and soon, she stopped passing urine. Because of this, her body swelled up and she couldn’t open her eyes,” Ravi says.
Ravi Nayak’s wife Jyoti died this week after suffering kidney failure at the New College Medical Hospital in Rajasthan’s Kota — one of two new mothers who died after developing similar complications following C-section deliveries on the same day in the hospital’s gynaecology ward. This came after the women complained of discomfort, chest pain and an inability to pass urine.
Kota Divisional Commissioner Anil Agarwal meeting families of the affected women. (Express photo: Parul Kulshrestha)
With one of the four new mothers who fell ill still believed to be critical, the hospital is now scrambling for answers — not only on what caused the deaths but also how to prevent more. Doctors say all six women developed jaundice and were unable to pass urine.
The hospital has put all four mothers on dialysis and is now awaiting the post mortem reports. Meanwhile, the condition of the mothers means five newborns are still in the hospital’s neonatal ICU since they cannot be breastfed.
The second largest healthcare facility in Rajasthan after Jaipur’s Sawai Man Singh Hospital, Kota Government Medical Hospital has over 800 doctors — including 600 resident doctors — and caters to 5,000 patients in its Out Patient Department each day.
“This is the first time in the history of the hospital such cases have been reported. No doctor wants patients to suffer. We did what we could to save lives but are yet to identify the cause of this problem,” Kota New Medical College Hospital Additional Principal R P Meena told The Indian Express. “Jyoti’s platelet count was low, which caused the incessant bleeding. One woman, Dhanni Bai, is still critical.”
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But patients’ families blame the hospital for negligence. “My child is still in the hospital for observation. We don’t want this to happen to anyone else. I want the strictest action against those responsible,” he says.
Ravi Nayak at his house in Crusher Basti in Kota, Rajasthan. (Photo: Parul Kulshrestha)
According to Additional Principal Dr Meena, the Kota New Medical College Hospital sees an average of 220 normal deliveries and 225 caesareans a month. With a capacity of 100 beds, the hospital caters to patients from districts such as Kota, Bundi, Jhalawar, Baran, Sawai Madhopur and even the neighbouring state of Madhya Pradesh.
Soon after the incident, the Rajasthan government ordered a team of four specialists from Jaipur’s Sawai Man Singh Medical College to be rushed to Kota. The team includes specialists from anaesthesia, medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, and nephrology.
According to sources in the state’s medical department, the government had planned to airlift the patients in ICU but has now put the plan on hold. The medicines and injections used for these women have been banned in the state pending investigation.
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Rajasthan Drug Controller Ajay Phatak, who visited the hospital on the evening of May 7, said his department had inspected the hospital and collected 23 samples of medicines, consumables and liquids. The inspection lasted 12 hours — from 10 am to 10 pm on Thursday.
“We need to see if other pregnant women who were given similar medications experienced any problems. Further action will be taken after the test report is received,” said Phatak.
But these words offer little solace to the families of the women. As Kota Divisional Commissioner Anil Agarwal visits the hospital to meet the affected, Sheela Bai, the mother-in-law of Dhanni Bai, who is still critical, greets him with folded hands.
“Please do something, we’re frightened. She has two daughters and now a newborn boy. Who will look after them?” she asks him, tears in her eyes.
