MP health centre was locked up, baby dies 20 mins after birth in ambulance

Rewa chief medical health officer Dr NN Mishra said an inquiry has been ordered into the complaint. “The people responsible will not be spared,” Dr Mishra said

Updated on: Dec 20, 2022, 11:19:04 IST

By Shruti Tomar

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BHOPAL: An inquiry has been ordered in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa district after a woman complained that she gave birth to her baby in an ambulance because the primary health centre (PHC) was locked and that her newborn died 20 minutes later due to lack of medical care.

Rewa chief medical health officer Dr NN Mishra said an inquiry has been ordered into the matter. “The people responsible will not be spared. Action will definitely be taken against the doctor concerned,” Dr Mishra said.

Sukhlal Rawat of Ladh village said when his wife, Mamta Rawat experienced labour pain on Sunday evening, an Asha worker quickly called an ambulance under the state’s Janani Express scheme which aims to ensure timely healthcare services to pregnant women and sick infants.

But when they reach the state-run health centre in Manikwar, they found it locked

“The PHC was locked and all the staff members including the auxiliary nurse midwife, staff nurse and doctor were absent. Local villagers said the doctor assigned to the centre hardly ever comes to the PHC… My wife gave birth to the baby in the ambulance with the help of an Asha worker. But the baby lived only for 20 minutes in the absence of a doctor and other medical staffers," Rawat said, demanding punishment for health officials who were responsible for his baby’s death.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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