TVM woman, newborn die after delivery attempt at home using acupuncture, husband booked

Thiruvananthapuram: In yet another incident of home birth gone wrong, a woman and her newborn baby lost their lives in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.

Palakkad native Shameera Beevi (39) and her newborn baby met with a tragic death. Following the incident, the police took her husband, Nayas, into custody and booked him under charges of culpable homicide.

More allegations are being levelled against Nayas, who is currently under the custody of Nemom police. Nayas is a native of Poonthura in Thiruvananthapuram. The man, accompanied by his daughter and another woman, performed the home delivery of Shameera. Locals are holding him responsible for the tragic demise of his wife and their newborn baby.

Shameera had fallen unconscious on Tuesday afternoon owing to excessive bleeding and was rushed to a private hospital in Killipalam. However, they were pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. 

Nayas and Shameera tied the knot after ending their previous marriages. The couple has two children in addition to kids from their previous marriages.

During her pregnancy period, Shameera was repeatedly advised by health officials to visit a hospital and avail of proper care and treatment. But Nayas refused to take his wife to the hospital. He went ahead with his plan to deliver the child home even after police intervened in the matter. 

Nayas allegedly misbehaved with the Asha workers who had visited his house to take his wife to hospital. He apparently told the health workers that he “knows how to take care of his wife.”

Ward councillor U Deepika told the media that Shameera was always ready for institutional delivery, but her husband was against the idea. During her earlier deliveries, the authorities managed to take her to the hospital despite stiff opposition from Nayas. But sadly, that wasn’t the case this time around.

Nayas believes that the mainstream healthcare practices in Kerala are not effective, and he is also against the idea of caesareans.          

There are rumours that Nayas is supposedly a disciple of a fake acupuncture doctor in Tirur. The team led by the fake doctor apparently runs almost 10 acupuncture study centres across the state. The one in Thiruvananthapuram is known to be located beside the Kallattumukku petrol bunk. 

Several women and newborn babies have lost their lives in similar incidents in Kerala in the past as well. The undue influence of fake practitioners is being considered the primary reason for the increasing number of home deliveries in the state.

A few days ago, Ameer Hamsa, a native of Kallattumukku, lost his life after undergoing treatment under a fake practitioner.     

In the case of Shameera’s death, residents are also blaming the police for not taking the extra initiative to take Shameera to the hospital despite knowing the situation very well.