Five women in the 20-25 age group went into a state of delirium after delivering babies through C-section in a government hospital in Rewa in Madhya Pradesh, a health official said on Saturday.

The incidents were reported on Thursday at Government Gandhi Memorial Hospital connected to Shyam Shah Government Medical College, he said.

“The women went into a state of delirium after delivery through C-section but we managed to save them from slipping into pre-coma or coma. They were rushed to the ICU from the general ward after this disturbing development was observed. Four of them have been shifted back to the general ward after normalcy, while one person remains in ICU,” Hospital Superintendent Dr Rahul Mishra told PTI.

“Efforts are on to find out why these women suffered memory loss. The medicines administered to them during the Caesarean procedure as well as anaesthesia dose are being scrutinised. We feel it may be a reaction to the drug ‘Bupivacaine’, which is used in spinal anaesthesia. Its use has been stopped at the hospital for now and samples have been sent for pharmacovigilance to Kolkata,” Dr Mishra informed.

The five women are in “better condition” now and a team of experts is monitoring their recovery, he added.

incidentally, is the hometown of Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla, who handles the health portfolio.

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