In a bizarre incident, at least five women reportedly experienced memory loss soon after undergoing caesarean deliveries on the same day at the Government Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh.
Doctors and medical experts were left baffled by the unusual cases, prompting the immediate transfer of all five women to the hospital’s ICU for close monitoring and advanced treatment.
The incident occurred on Friday at Gandhi Memorial Hospital, the largest government hospital in Rewa district, affiliated with Shyam Shah Government Medical College.
According to Hospital Superintendent Dr Rahul Mishra, the women were promptly shifted to the ICU from the general ward. He stated that advanced treatment was being provided and specialists had been called in to assess the situation.
Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the memory loss. Dr. Mishra noted that the medicines used during the caesarean procedures were being analyzed, including the dosage of anesthesia administered.
“Our initial suspicion is that the reaction could have been caused by the drug ‘Bupivacaine,’ which is used in spinal anesthesia,” Dr Mishra told *The Statesman* today. “We have immediately halted its use in the hospital, and samples have been sent for pharmacovigilance,” he added.
Dr Mishra also mentioned that similar complaints regarding ‘Bupivacaine’ had been reported from other locations, including Jabalpur.
All affected women, aged between 25 and 35 years, are now in much better condition.
“The women experienced a state of delirium, but we managed the situation swiftly, preventing any progression to pre-coma or coma. All are recovering well,” Dr. Mishra confirmed.
Four of the women have since been shifted back to the general ward, while one remains in the ICU for further observation.
Rewa is the hometown of Madhya Pradesh Health Minister Rajendra Shukla, who also serves as one of the state’s two Deputy Chief Ministers.