Amid lockdown, woman gives birth on road in Moga

Amid the lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus, a woman gave birth to a boy on the roadside in Dharamkot town in Moga district as she failed to get medical

Amid the lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus, a woman gave birth to a boy on the roadside in Dharamkot town in Moga district as she failed to get medical help from government as well as private hospitals on the intervening night of April 2-3.

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Jyoti, 30, of Dharmakot developed labour pain on Thursday night and her husband took her to the nearest primary health centre (PHC) which they found without staff. Also, staff at a private hospital refused to offer help. However, two cops — assistant sub-inspector Bikker Singh and constable Sukhjinder Singh — on PCR duty came to the couple’s rescue and arranged help from nearby residential area for safe delivery.

Harmesh Kumar said he first took his wife Jyoti to the PHC on a two-wheeler but no staff was present there. “I tried to admit her to a private hospital but they didn’t let us in. We also contacted 108 for ambulance but they said all vehicles were occupied. When no private doctor attended to my wife, I panicked when her pain became severe. Finally two cops who were patrolling in the area came for our help and called two women to help my wife deliver safely,” he said.

The cops dropped the couple and their newborn home. “The woman was in so much pain, so instead of taking her to hospital, we sought help from the neighborhood,” said ASI Bikkar Singh.

The local officials claimed the Dharamkot PHC staff was on coronavirus duty at nearby Janer village on Thursday evening. Moga civil surgeon Andesh Kang said she was not aware of the incident. “No such incident has been reported to me so far. I will inquire why the staff was not present at the PHC. The family should contact me. Strict action will be taken against anyone found guilty of negligence,” she added.