Woman delivers at govt hospital gate, baby dies

A women delivered a girl child at the gate of a government hospital in Ballabhgarh near Faridabad late on Wednesday night. The child died minutes later, leading to a public outcry. Prabhu Razdan reports.

A women delivered a girl child at the gate of a government hospital in Ballabhgarh near Faridabad late on Wednesday night. The child died minutes later, leading to a public outcry.

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Around 1 am on Thursday, one Khem Singh took his pregnant wife, Puja, to the hospital after she complained of labour pain. Singh alleged the hospital staff denied admission to his wife on the grounds that there was still some time before the expected delivery date of mid-November.

The couple left the hospital around 1.30am after being denied admission but Puja gave birth of a girl within minutes near the hospital gate. The infant died within minutes of being born. The couple went back to their house in Hari Vihar colony but were advised by friends and neighbours to lodge a complaint with the hospital.

They went back to protest at the hospital gate the next day, alleging negligence by the staff. The hospital authorities ordered a probe into the incident.

"The hospital staff did not admit my wife citing various reasons," Khem Singh alleged. Denying the charges, the doctors claimed Singh was advised to get his wife's medical reports and said there was some time before her delivery date.

"We received a complaint from Khem Singh alleging negligence on the part of staff and we are looking into it," said Ballabhgarh deputy commissioner of police Raj Kumar Vaishisht."We have also got the post-mortem examination report of the child," he added.

Dr Sanjay Rai, senior doctor of the AIIMS wing of Ballabgarh hospital said, "We have ordered a probe into the incident. There is no question of negligence and we suspect the delivery has taken place somewhere else."