In a shocking incident, a patient arrived at the maternity hospital in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur and was left unattended even after the newborn was halfway out. The nurse allegedly told the patient and her family that no doctor was present and advised them to go to a private hospital.
The patient has been identified as Mamta Kewat, who arrived with her husband, Sanat Kumar Kewat, from Sarwani village in the Bilha block.
What Happened At The Hospital
The incident occurred at about 10pm on Saturday, when the woman in labour arrived at the hospital for her delivery. The newborn leg at that time was already out. The nurse came out of the hospital premises and said, "The doctor is not available right now, so please take him away." However, another hospital staff member retorted that the patient could not be discharged in this condition, and the patient was shifted to the delivery room.
The victim's father alleged that doctors are not on duty at the maternity hospital at night and that nurses manipulate sending patients to private hospitals by citing serious cases.
Major Lapses Exposed
Despite the mandatory presence of on-duty doctors in a critical situation such as childbirth, the entire ward was solely staffed by nurses on Saturday night. The nurse's haste in referring a child had put the lives of both the mother and the newborn in danger.
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The victim's family alleged that government hospital staff deliberately intimidate rural and poor patients. Critical cases that arrive at night are advised to go directly to private hospitals instead of attending to them. The absence of doctors and the insensitive approach have worsened the situation.
The district hospital complex operates a modern 100-bed maternity and child hospital, which offers better NICU and ventilator facilities than private hospitals. Despite the presence of a large staff of senior doctors and staff, cases of management failure to send newborns to private hospitals and staff collusion with direct commission agents have surfaced previously.
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Regarding this matter, Bilaspur Collector Sanjay Agarwal said, "The issue is very sensitive. Such an incident should not have occurred on the hospital premises. Given the seriousness of the matter, an investigation will be conducted."