Foetus dies as woman gives pre-mature birth on roadside, probe ordered

With the assistance of the rickshaw puller and passers-by, a private space was created on the roadside by using a bedsheet to aid the expectant mother.

LUCKNOW A four-and-a-half-month pregnant woman, Rupa Soni, 30, underwent a premature delivery on the roadside near Raj Bhavan on Sunday. Sadly, the foetus was pronounced dead upon arrival at Jhalkaribai (Women) Hospital by doctors.

The pregnant woman, accompanied by her sister-in-law Rita, was traveling in a cycle rickshaw when she experienced intense pain. (HT Photo)

A video of the incident circulating on social media has provoked a strong response from leaders of Opposition parties who claim that the state of healthcare services in Uttar Pradesh is in shambles.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak, who also oversees the health portfolio, visited the hospital and met with the family. He ordered an investigation into the alleged negligence of ambulance staff, who reportedly failed to arrive in time.

The pregnant woman, accompanied by her sister-in-law Rita, was traveling in a cycle rickshaw when she experienced intense pain. With the assistance of the rickshaw puller and passers-by, a private space was created on the roadside by using a bedsheet to aid the expectant mother.

Witnessing the situation, women passers-by and women police officers from a nearby police outpost rushed to help. An ambulance was summoned, and upon its arrival, the pregnant woman was rushed to Jhalkaribai Hospital. While the woman received medical attention, the child was declared dead. Notably, the woman is already a mother of four children.

“Someone from the crowd on the road called for an ambulance,” said Brijesh, the woman’s husband. Earlier, around 8 am, Rupa experienced severe abdominal pain. She alerted Brijesh, who arranged a rickshaw to transport her to Civil Hospital. After receiving treatment there, they were advised to proceed to a women’s hospital. As the pain subsided, they decided to head home. However, she experienced pain again on the way, leading to the premature delivery.

In response to the incident, former U.P. CM Akhilesh Yadav tweeted (in Hindi), “This occurred in the state capital, right in front of the Raj Bhavan. A woman was compelled to give birth on the road due to the absence of an ambulance. Will the Chief Minister address this issue, or will he prioritize bulldozers over emergency ambulances?”

In a similar vein, senior Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav stated, “Despite claims and advertisements, healthcare facilities are on life support. Women were unable to access an ambulance and had to resort to giving birth on the road. This is disgraceful and exposes the true state of healthcare facilities in the state.”

Anshu Awasthy, media coordinator of U.P. Congress, also criticised the government over the incident, saying that healthcare services in the state are subpar. “A woman who had been seeking admission for the past four days ultimately gave birth on the roadside. Those in power are making false statements,” remarked Awasthy.

Taking cognisance of the incident, deputy CM Brajesh Pathak and his wife Namrata Pathak visited Jhalkaribai Hospital and met with the patient. Pathak said, “We will investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident. The woman is stable and under medical care. My wife accompanied me to facilitate open communication with the female patient. I have directed the principal secretary to initiate an inquiry and take action against the ambulance service for any delays.” Pathak also attended the final rites of the foetus.

Officials from EMRI Green Health Services, which operates the 102-ambulance service in the state, stated, “We did not receive any call to transport the woman back home. When we received the call, the ambulance arrived within 10 minutes.”

Statement from the CMO

The office of the chief medical officer (CMO) in Lucknow was contacted by the staff at Raj Bhavan, triggering the immediate dispatch of an ambulance from the CMO’s fleet. The ambulance reached the location within a span of 15 minutes.

Additionally, another ambulance affiliated with the 108/102 service promptly arrived at the scene. The woman’s husband conveyed to Dr Ravi Pandey and Dr Sandeep Singh, both from the CMO’s office, that the woman had been receiving treatment from a private doctor. As her abdominal discomfort persisted, she was being transported to Jhalkaribai Hospital via a rickshaw.

Notably, the family did not make a prior request for an ambulance to their residence, said a press release issued by the office of CMO Dr Manoj Agrawal. The woman had also visited Civil Hospital on August 12 due to abdominal pain, added the same press release.