Gurez Maternal Death: Pregnant Woman, Baby Die Amid Alleged Referral Delays

SRINAGAR: A pregnant woman from Gurez in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district died after being shifted to District Hospital Bandipora on Wednesday, while her baby was stillborn. The family has alleged that snowfall, movement restrictions and delays in emergency medical referral contributed to the tragedy.The deceased, identified as Haseen Bagem, wife of Showket Hameed Lone, was a resident of Mazgund village in Tulail. According to her family, she was taken to Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Gurez late Tuesday evening after they allegedly found no medical staff available at Primary Health Centre (PHC) Sheikhpora.The family said doctors at SDH Gurez informed them that she had low blood levels and advised an urgent transfer to District Hospital Bandipora for further treatment.However, the family alleged that snowfall and movement restrictions in Gurez prevented them from proceeding towards Bandipora. They also claimed to have contacted Project Beacon, the Border Roads Organisation’s road-maintenance agency, and were assured that the road would be cleared for the ambulance.“Beacon officials told us to proceed towards Bandipora and said they would clear the road ahead of the ambulance. But the SDM Gurez did not allow us to move,” a family member alleged.The family further claimed that the woman remained in pain throughout the night and that the baby died in the womb before delivery at SDH Gurez around midnightA senior doctor at District Hospital Bandipora said Haseen Bagem was brought to the hospital around 8 am on Wednesday and was declared brought dead.The incident has also raised questions about emergency healthcare facilities in Gurez, including the availability of medical staff and blood supplies. The family questioned the availability of blood at the local health facility, stating that a blood bank had been inaugurated in the area several months earlier by the local MLA.The allegations regarding medical staff availability, movement restrictions and the referral delay have not been independently established in the information available. The incident has renewed attention on emergency medical access in remote areas of north Kashmir, particularly during adverse weather conditions.