The Ministry of Health and Medical Services has launched an investigation into the death of a mother and her baby at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva on Tuesday.

Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Philip Davies, yesterday confirmed an investigation was underway to determine the cause of death.

It is alleged that 36-year-old Ana Ravulagi of Nabouva, Wainibuka, died after a Caesarian Section on Tuesday morning.

Her husband, Usaia Ravulagi, who was also in the operation theatre, claimed the baby was also removed dead from the womb.

The deceased’s sister-in-law, who wished not to be named, said Mrs Ravulagi had sought to be transferred from Korovou Health Centre to CWM Hospital after she had exceeded her due date for delivery.

Mrs Ravulagi had gone to the CWM Hospital on Tuesday morning after her water broke on Monday night at her sister-in-law’s house at Delainavesi in Lami.

Mr Ravulagi claimed that if action had been taken soon after his wife’s arrival at the hospital, she would have still been alive.

Her sister-in-law said: “We reached the hospital before 8am on Tuesday so they transferred her to the labour ward so we went there and dropped her and she was admitted and remained at the Hospital until her emergency operation between 5-6am on Wednesday.”

Mr Ravulagi claimed before that she had told the nurse about everything.

“The nurse who transferred her to the labour ward asked her when her water bag burst and she said ‘last night’ (Monday),” Mrs Ravulagi’s sister-in-law said.

“The nurse told her she should have come the same time because there are some cases where the bacteria would go inside.

“So my question is if they knew that the water broke and her already late arrival could allow bacteria to go in why did they not attend to her immediately?”

She further heard from one of Mrs Ravulagi’s ward patients that she had told the nurse that a green liquid was coming out of her when she urinated.

She alleged the nurse failed to act on that complaint.

Mr Ravulagi said after the post mortem result it was likely that he would take legal action against the ministry.

“I am now left with my two sons and she told me to take care of them,” he said.

The couple had been farming before the tragedy.

Edited by Ranoba Baoa

Feedback:  arishma.narayan@fijisun.com.fj