Investigating a maternal death case in Meghalaya’s Ri-Bhoi District
Maternal deaths are preventable by providing adequate treatment and care. There may be many direct and indirect causes of maternal deaths in the country. According to a recent WHO report, nearly five women die every hour in India from complications developed during childbirth. Nearly 45,000 mothers die due to causes related to childbirth every year in India which accounts for 17 per cent of such deaths globally.
In this report, we analyse of how one Melina Dohling died during child birth. According to her mother, the cause of her death was bleeding caused by a ‘retained placenta’. An SLIC activist visited Ri-Bhoi District and met Melina’s family for this report. Thereafter, we filed a writ petition with Dohling's mother and is pending before the Meghalaya High Court.