Two nurses sentenced to four months house arrest following death of woman in labour

Criminal Court has found two Indian nurses guilty of negligence in relation to the death of a woman in labour in ADK Hospital in April 2009. The two nurses were sentenced to four months in house arrest today.

The woman in labour was Shaheen Mohamed of Ma. Sathaavari aage.

Nurses Asha Dharmaraj and Jacqueline Puneetha Joseph were charged with disobedience under Article 88 of the Penal Code.

Chief Judge of Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed said in the court session today that Shaheen and her baby were not accorded the care necessary for a person in her condition. Also, the evidence presented in court proved that nurses Asha and Jacqueline had neglected their responsibilities in treating Shaheen and her baby. The nurses were therefore are sentenced to four months in house arrest according to Article 88 (a) of the Penal Code.

Doctors who provided testimonies regarding this case had said that the exact cause of death for Shaheen is unknown; however, she was not treated professionally. There can be several reasons behind her death, and the exact cause can be identified by conducting a postmortem examination.