KHALID GUL

Islamabad, Aug 28: Excessive tear gas inhalation and high decibel sounds could cause serious complications among pregnant women, doctors here revealed while dealing with a case in which a pregnant woman from Bijbehara lost her foetus.
 Gowhar Jan wife of Arshid Ahmad of Goriwan who had come to the maternity hospital Islamabad for medical check-up on Thursday has lost the fetus due to ‘excessive inhalation of tear smoke, high decibel blasts of tear smoke shells and harassment resulting from banging of doors and windows by police and paramilitary forces.’
 Doctors said the fetus was absolutely normal at the time of last check up and they expected a normal delivery.
 A doctor who treated the woman said, “Till last Friday both the fetus as well as the mother were absolutely normal. The USG conducted a few days before also confirmed that the fetus was very much alive.”
 She said the patient started developing complications from the day a tear gas canister fired by the forces landed in their compound. “The mother had complained of dizziness due to the inhalation of tear gas.”
 She said on that day the woman had fainted probably due to the stress developed by repeated banging of doors and windows by the police and paramilitary forces in the area, besides her blood pressure had shot up.
 The doctor said this all had complicated the fetal movement that ultimately led to intra-uterine death. “The lady had no past history of hypertension,” the doctor added.
 Confirming the death of nine-month old fetus, Deputy Medical Superintendent, Maternity and Pediatric Hospital Islamabad, Dr. Fazil Kochak said, “After conducting the Ultra Sonogram (USG), the fetus was found dead.”
 Last Friday Bijbehara was on boil after the death of a youth in CRPF and police firing. Family members and the neighbors of Gowhar said after death, the police and CRPF personnel went berserk, fired tear gas canisters and smashed the window panes and doors of all the houses in Goriwan area.
 “All of us got frightened and Gowhar fainted,” they said.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 28 Aug 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 28 Aug 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 29 Aug 2010 00:00:00 IST