KARACHI, April 23: A pregnant woman died of excessive bleeding and severe pain after a doctor operated upon her allegedly without giving her general anaesthesia in a maternity clinic in Quaidabad.

Police took into custody the owner of the maternity home, Firdous Begum, who also served as a nurse in her clinic, but the doctor escaped.

Rukhsana, 30, resident of Muslimabad area of Quaidabad, was taken to Firdousi Clinic and Maternity Home, located in the vicinity, her husband, Aurangzeb, told the police.

He said: “My wife complained of labour pain and I took her to the nearby Firdousi Clinic where Dr Imran attended her.” He told the police that the doctor made it clear that if the woman was not operated upon, she or the child could expire. He gave the doctor his consent to perform the operation, who took her to a labour room on Tuesday afternoon.

The nurse of the clinic told the police that the doctor was allegedly in haste and did not give the woman anaesthesia to make her unconscious. However, she claimed, the woman was given local anaesthesia. Doctor Imran cut her abdomen and took out the child but the woman cried in pain. The doctor allegedly delayed controlling the bleeding and the woman died of excessive bleeding and shock because of the severe pain.

The child and the woman were shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre on Tuesday night. However, Dr Imran disappeared from the clinic before the arrival of police.

The child survived and an autopsy was performed on the body of the woman, who had died on the spot, the police said.

Hospital sources said the cut on the abdomen of the woman was above the navel, which should have been below it.

They said the details about the anaesthesia would be clear after the receipt of histopathological examination and chemical test reports.

The Quaidabad police, on the complaint of Aurangzeb, registered an FIR, No.88/2003, under Section 319 of the Pakistan Penal Code for killing the woman unintentionally.

The police did not know about the qualification of the doctor and they were conducting raids to nab him.