"I believe that if action had been taken when she first showed signs of sepsis, she would still be here," Gurinder Sidhu wrote
A man whose wife died after giving birth alleges that the hospital missed signs of sepsis, leading to her death -- and now he's calling for reform.
Ravinder Kaur Sidhu, 40, was recovering from giving birth to her third child in the postpartum unit at Credit Valley Hospital in Ontario on June 19 when she "began showing signs of serious infection," her widow Gurinder Sidhu shared in a Change.org petition, where he said his family is now "shattered."
Ravinder began shaking, developed a nearly 103-degree fever, and her blood pressure dropped, according to claims in the petition. As Gurinder alleges in a statement to PEOPLE: "There was a ~30-hour delay to targeted antibiotics, no Rapid Response activation despite repeated hypotension/tachycardia, and an early fixation on her leg while severe pelvic pain was downplayed."
He claims, "I believe that if action had been taken when she first showed signs of sepsis, she would still be here."
A representative for Credit Valley Hospital told PEOPLE in a statement: "We extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of Mrs. Ravinder Sidhu. This is a profound loss, and our thoughts are with all those who are grieving, including members of our team.
"We take the concerns raised by her family very seriously. As part of our commitment to the highest standards of care, we have initiated a thorough review process led by an interdisciplinary team of clinical experts. This process includes listening closely to the family, engaging directly with the care team, and examining our policies and practices as we strive to deliver the highest quality of care."
Gurinder claimed in an interview with CTV that, for two days, his wife was given Advil and Tylenol, and it was only when an infection appeared on her leg that she was moved to the ICU.
"By that point, she was already being eaten alive by the bacteria," he told the outlet.
Then came her diagnosis: "Doctors told me she had a rapidly progressing Group A Strep infection, which had begun to severely damage her uterus and was starting to spread to her leg," he wrote in his petition.
Group A strep bacteria cause infections ranging from minor to serious, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control explains. Some infections, like impetigo, strep throat and scarlet fever, are treatable with antibiotics. But it can also cause cellulitis, necrotizing fasciitis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome.
In Ravinder's case, she developed sepsis -- a life-threatening condition where the body responds improperly to an infection.
Four days after giving birth, she died. "She never returned home to the family she adored," Gurinder wrote. That's why he's seeking to overhaul Ontario's protocols regarding sepsis detection.
Specifically, he is looking for "mandatory one-hour sepsis protocol in every Ontario birthing unit," along with more prompt dosing of antibiotics "once sepsis criteria are met." He also wants nurses to be able to "escalate immediately when shock-level vitals appear."
And, he is asking the hospital to release the results of its internal investigation into his wife's death.
In its statement to PEOPLE, Credit Valley Hospital said, "We cannot share individual medical details due to our obligation to protect patient privacy. What we can commit to is full transparency with the family about the findings of the review, and to making any necessary changes to strengthen patient safety and care."
Their statement continued: "Sepsis care at Trillium Health Partners follows best practices and relies on the clinical judgement of the multidisciplinary medical care team. Sepsis is considered when an infection is suspected, and vital signs or laboratory findings indicate a severe response to that suspected infectious process. Clinicians exercise their clinical judgement to balance their interpretation of these findings with other possible explanations, while acting in a timely manner to treat the suspected underlying cause.
"In practice, clinicians monitor vital signs and overall condition, draw blood cultures and lactate levels, provide IV fluids, administer broad-spectrum antibiotics, and use vasopressors if fluids do not stabilize blood pressure. Once sepsis has been recognized, the goal is to start treatment - within the first hour - while applying sound medical judgement to each case.
"Our teams follow established policies, procedures, and medical directives that guide when abnormal findings should trigger physician involvement. Key indicators - including heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and overall clinical presentation - are routinely monitored through both physical assessment and electronic systems. When vital signs deviate from expected parameters, monitoring is increased and physicians are engaged for further assessment to ensure timely recognition and response. Staff are trained regularly to identify normal and abnormal findings in obstetrics and to act quickly in line with escalation protocols."
"Sepsis can't wait," Gurinder told PEOPLE, explaining his reason for the petition. "Ontario still lacks a province-wide mandate that birthing units begin cultures and antibiotics within one hour of red-flag vitals. Our petition calls for that rule, plus transparent investigations and conflict-of-interest safeguards so families don't face the barriers we did."
"Our newborn son will never know his mother's voice. Our six- and seven-year-olds ask why Mom didn't come home. Ravinder was also a healthcare leader who built three physiotherapy clinics -- her staff and patients are grieving alongside us. We're trying to transform that grief into change that protects other mothers," he told PEOPLE.
"Ravinder did everything right -- she asked for help, again and again. The system has to meet families with urgency, not dismissal. We're asking for solutions that are simple, measurable, and life-saving: the one-hour sepsis protocol in every birthing unit, real escalation culture, and transparent, independent reviews when things go wrong."