Muradabad, August 18, 2025: A heartbreaking case in Muradabad’s Katghar police station area has led to the arrest of Salma Nasir, operator of an unregistered healthcare center in Karula, after a newborn’s death due to alleged negligence. The facility, repeatedly sealed by health authorities for illegal operations, continued to function, sparking outrage over lax regulation of unauthorized medical centers in the region.
On November 17, 2024, Shivkumar, a resident of Machhariya, admitted his pregnant wife, Soni Thakur, to Salma Nasir’s healthcare center for delivery, lured by promises of a normal delivery from a local woman. Shivkumar alleges that Salma mishandled the delivery, using excessive force with a pump, which caused severe mental disability in the newborn. The infant was later shifted to Medwin Multispeciality Hospital and then to Mansarovar Child Care Center, but succumbed on November 19, 2024, due to inadequate care. Following Shivkumar’s complaint, the Katghar police, under a court order dated April 25, 2025, registered a case against Salma, Archana Singh, and two doctors for culpable homicide. Salma was arrested on August 17, 2025, and sent to jail after court proceedings.
The health department had sealed Salma’s facility three times prior for lacking registration, qualified staff, or proper medical infrastructure. Despite these actions, Salma allegedly broke the seals, including cutting through a locked iron grill, to resume operations. A recent raid by Deputy CMO Dr. Sanjeev Belwal’s team, prompted by a public complaint, found an illegal operation theater and two admitted women, who were promptly moved to the district hospital. The facility had no trained doctors, fire safety measures, or biomedical waste disposal systems, posing severe risks to patients.
This is not the first controversy surrounding Salma’s center. In July 2024, it was sealed after a mother and child died due to a wrong blood transfusion, highlighting a pattern of negligence. The health department is now preparing to file a court case to curb such violations, as sealing alone has proven ineffective. The incident has fueled public anger, with residents demanding stricter oversight of private healthcare facilities. Authorities are intensifying inspections across Muradabad to identify similar illegal operations. This tragedy underscores the dangers of unregulated healthcare and the urgent need for stronger enforcement to protect vulnerable patients, especially expectant mothers and newborns.
