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Woman gives birth on roadside; locals, doctor come together to save duo
A pregnant woman gave birth on the roadside after being denied admission at a rural hospital, raising concerns about maternal healthcare access.
A pregnant woman was forced to give birth on the roadside on Saturday after allegedly being denied admission by the Shirur Rural Hospital. Despite the difficult circumstances, the swift intervention of alert citizens and a local doctor ensured the safety of both the mother and her newborn.
Supriya Nitesh Kale, 23, gave birth at Nirman Chowk in Shirur after collapsing on the road while rushing to seek medical help at the same hospital, while in advanced labour. She belongs to a financially vulnerable tribal community and had not undergone a regular prenatal check-up.
According to eyewitnesses, Kale was suffering from intense labour pain and collapsed on the road around 10:15 am.
As panic spread, passers-by and local residents rushed to help her and immediately contacted Dr Sunita Pote, a gynaecologist whose clinic is less than half a kilometre away from the spot.
Realising there was no time to take the woman to a hospital, Dr Pote rushed to the scene and decided to deliver the baby on the roadside.
Residents quickly mobilised to assist. Women from the area brought sarees, gowns and cloth sheets to create a makeshift enclosure around Kale, ensuring privacy and dignity during the emergency delivery.
“The situation was extremely critical. The mother was exhausted and severely anaemic, and there was simply no time to move her elsewhere. We had to act immediately,” Dr Pote said.
Within minutes, Kale delivered a baby boy. However, anxious moments followed as the newborn did not cry immediately after birth.
“Those first few minutes were tense. We were worried because the baby was not responding initially, but fortunately, he began crying after emergency care was provided,” Dr Pote said.
Following the delivery, an autorickshaw driver helped transport the mother and child to Dr Pote’s clinic, where further treatment was administered.
Medical examinations revealed that Kale’s haemoglobin level was just 6, indicating severe anaemia. Doctors also found that she had not undergone a single prenatal check-up during her pregnancy, which significantly increased the health risks for both mother and child.
Dr Pote said, “Kale comes from a financially vulnerable tribal family and had limited access to healthcare and medical support during her pregnancy.”
The incident has raised serious concerns over the alleged denial of treatment at a government healthcare facility and the state of emergency maternal healthcare services in rural areas.
Nitesh Kale, husband of Supriya, said they had approached the Shirur Rural Hospital on April 20 at around 7 pm, during which the hospital officials said the delivery would not be possible there as they have stopped deliveries and even the ultrasound machine is closed. “They suggested that I take my wife to Ahilyanagar or Pune for the delivery. On Saturday, we were going to the same hospital after she developed pain, and before reaching the hospital, she went into labour pains. During the first trimester of pregnancy, one ultrasound test was done at Ahmednagar. Besides, we consulted Ranjangaon public hospital for vomiting,” he said.
Refuting the allegations, Dr Nagnath Yempalle, Pune District Civil Surgeon, said, “The woman or the family never came to Shirur Rural Hospital. We checked the past record of one month and even the CCTV footage of Saturday. The woman did not come to the facility, and no treatment was denied to the expecting mother.”
