Sambalpur: A fresh maternal death at Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) in Burla of Odisha's Sambalpur district on Wednesday has sparked concern over rising fatalities among pregnant women at the hospital. With the latest incident, the number of maternal deaths reported at the institute in the past week has reportedly risen to six.

VIMSAR Director Dr Lal Mohan Nayak said the exact cause behind today's death is yet to be ascertained. However, he said that some of the recent deaths could be linked to complications arising from high blood pressure and sickle cell disease among the patients.

The deaths have sparked concern over maternal healthcare services at the premier government-run medical institution in western Odisha.

Amid speculation that adverse drug reactions may have contributed to the deaths, the VIMSAR Director dismissed such claims. He denied reports suggesting that the fatalities were caused by side effects of medicines administered to the patients.

Further details are awaited as authorities continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the deaths.