A probe committee has been formed under the coordination of Nepal Medical Council (NMC) member Dr Samrat Parajuli to investigate the death of Gita Pandey during an abortion procedure.
The NMC said that it formed a six-member committee, taking the incident seriously and responding to the demand of the victim’s family for an impartial investigation.
Members of the committee include gynecology and obstetrics specialists Dr Padam Raj Pant, Dr Rajendra Basyal, Dr Anup Panthi, legal expert Govinda Marasini, and civil society representative Dinesh Pandey.
The council has directed the committee to conduct an on-site inspection and monitoring of the incident site and submit a report based on an impartial investigation.
NMC Registrar Dr Satish Kumar Deo said that the council’s attention had been drawn to the serious incident of a pregnant woman’s death during an abortion procedure in a clinic in Butwal. He said that the committee was formed to investigate the facts in coordination with local police and to submit an accurate report.
He also urged compliance with decisions of the Nepal Medical Council and the Professional Conduct and Health Committee.
Pandey, 29, originally from Baganaskali Rural Municipality and living in Shankar Nagar, Tilottama Municipality, died on Monday during the abortion procedure.
According to her husband Prakash Pandey, the 12-week fetus was deemed abnormal, and she died during the abortion procedure carried out by Khatry Nursing Home, Zonal Pharmacy, and Indulekha Clinic.
Her family and relatives have demanded action against all three health facilities and their doctors, alleging that she died because of their negligence.
The Area Police Office, Butwal, said that they have arrested five individuals based on the complaint filed by the family.
Those arrested include Dr DB Khatry and Sandhya Basnet of Khatry Nursing Home, Khagendra Pandey and Dr Satish Rupakheti of Indulekha Clinic, and Nilam Gharti Magar of Zonal Pharmacy.
The victim’s family has also padlocked all three health facilities since Tuesday evening.
