Overview
- A 23-year-old woman, identified as Manju Sharma from the Seraj area of Mandi district, died after giving birth at Regional Hospital, Dhalpur, sparking sharp local anger.
- Family members say the attending doctor performed the delivery but the woman's condition worsened afterward and a nurse dismissed her repeated complaints as acting.
- Hundreds of people protested at the hospital, forced entry to the premises, burned an effigy of the state health minister, and staged sit-ins and a hunger strike to demand accountability.
- Officials have set up a health-department probe committee and a magisterial inquiry, the family has filed complaints with police and the district administration, the State Women’s Commission has taken cognisance, and a doctor has been suspended with further action against nurses under review.
- Key facts remain contested, including the precise timing and medical cause of death, and the protests and investigations could prompt closer oversight of maternal care and staff conduct at the hospital.