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A 31-year-old pregnant woman died in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday, August 27, following an alleged botched abortion procedure. The procedure was reportedly performed by unqualified medical staff on the instructions of a registered medical practitioner (RMP) in Yerragondapalem, Markapuram district.
The victim, Shaik Mahabunni, was six months pregnant and was admitted to a private hospital on August 25 after experiencing abdominal pain. Her condition reportedly deteriorated during the procedure, and she died two days later.
Following the incident, the Andhra Pradesh Medical Council announced an inquiry into the matter. In a statement issued on August 28, the Council said it would investigate the allegations through its anti-quackery committee.
An FIR has also been registered at the Yerragondapalem police station based on a complaint by Mahabunni’s husband, Shaik Chinna Balaji. Balaji believes that his wife’s death was caused by an existing health condition and not by a botched procedure. The case has consequently been registered as an unnatural death.
Further investigation is underway.
Notably, a 30-year-old woman in Hyderabad died on August 18 after allegedly receiving an injection from a Rural Medical Practitioner (RMP) in Karwan Vaddera Basti. The case prompted an inquiry by the Ranga Reddy district medical and health officer (DMHO).
RMPs are not qualified to practise modern medicine independently and do not hold medical licences that permit them to prescribe modern medicines or perform medical procedures. Despite this, they remain widely relied upon for primary healthcare in several parts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
