MP: Health Dept probes Indore hospital after Ujjain woman’s H1N1-linked death

Indore, Aug 20 (IANS) The Madhya Pradesh Health Department has ordered a high‑level investigation and issued a show‑cause notice to a private hospital in Indore following the death of a 62‑year‑old woman from Ujjain who tested positive for H1N1 (swine flu).

The woman, a Ujjain resident, was undergoing treatment at the private facility. Against the advice of doctors, she was discharged on August 18 and returned to her home in Ujjain, where she died the next day, August 19.

Indore Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Madhav Prasad Hasani, through a notice on Thursday, clarified the sequence of events after reports of the death appeared in newspapers.

He said: “The factual position is that a 60‑year‑old woman resident of Ujjain was under treatment at a hospital in Indore. On 18 August 2026 she left the hospital and returned to her home in Ujjain. On 19 August 2026, she died at her residence.”

The note further clarified that the hospital had not informed the Health Department about the case. Acting promptly, Hasani issued a show‑cause notice to the hospital and constituted a three‑member investigation team comprising Abhishek Nigam, Anshul Mishra and Virendra Rajgeer. The team has been directed to examine the matter thoroughly and submit a report so that the exact facts can be placed on record.

Earlier, media reports had stated that the woman, who tested positive for H1N1 (swine flu), was discharged against medical advice and later died at home.

The Health Department emphasised that H1N1 is a notifiable disease and private hospitals are duty‑bound to report such cases under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP). Failure to do so has also led to the present action under the Nursing Home Act.

Hasani noted that the monsoon months of June, July and August, with rising humidity, often witness an increase in viral infections, making timely reporting and surveillance critical for public health.

The investigation team’s findings will determine any further action against the hospital. Health authorities continue to monitor the situation closely.

–IANS

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