Doctor Ends Life After Being Booked For Patient's Post-Partum Complications Death

A doctor in India who had been booked for murder in connection with the death of her pregnant patient killed herself alleging harassment against innocent doctors.

Dr. Archana Sharma, a gynecologist from the northern Indian state of Rajasthan, killed herself Tuesday, a day after her patient, 22-year-old Asha Bairwa, died of post-partum complications.

The police had registered a case against Sharma on charges of murder after the relatives of the deceased patient held a protest Monday with the dead body in front of the private hospital run by Sharma and her husband, Dr. Suneet Upadhyaya in Dausa, a city in Rajasthan. The protesters accused them that Bairwas' death was caused due to negligence and this reportedly forced her to take the extreme step, as reported by Indian Express.

In her suicide note, Sharma said her death might prove her innocence and pleaded with people to stop harassing innocent doctors. "I did not commit any mistakes, did not kill anyone. Post-Partum Hemorrhage (PPH) is a known complication. Stop harassing doctors so much for this. My death may prove my innocence. Don't harass innocent doctors... Please," Sharma said in her suicide note.

"I love my husband and children a lot. Please don’t trouble them after my death," the heartbreaking note read.

Bairwa reportedly had a normal delivery Monday but suffered massive PPH two hours later. "For two hours, we kept trying to save her and administered her two units of blood but couldn’t save her," Dr. Upadhyaya said.

Dr. Upashyaya said Bairwa's relatives were initially convinced that the doctors tried their best to save Bairwa and took her dead body to their village for cremation. However, after being instigated by local politicians, who asked them to claim compensation for her death, they came back with the dead body to protest, he added.

Meanwhile, Ashok Gehlot, Chief Minister of the state, condemned the acts of violence against doctors. "If doctors are intimidated like this, how will they be able to do their work with confidence? We all should remember how our doctors risked their lives during COVID-19 to serve us. How can anyone treat them this way," Gehlot said, as reported by Hindustan Times.

Based on Sharma's family's complaint, the police have now registered a case against those who led the protest Monday on charges of abetment of suicide.

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, every day.