Gurugram’s Civil Hospital refers Covid-positive pregnant woman to Faridabad due to lack of facilities

A 25-year-old woman delivered a child on Wednesday shortly after testing positive for the coronavirus (Covid-19) disease. Her family members alleged she was refused admission by the Civil Hospital in Gurugram and was referred to Faridabad due to lack of facilities for pregnant women at the government hospital.

HT Image

The woman gave birth to a girl in the 38th week of her pregnancy and the child has tested negative for coronavirus. It was a normal delivery, said doctors at the Faridabad hospital.

Dr Asim Das, Dean, ESIC Medical College and Hospital, Faridabad, said the patient was referred by Gurugram’s Civil Hospital and within three hours, the patient delivered the baby. “The newborn has tested negative for the infection. She is healthy and doing well, as of now,” he said.

Das said it was against guidelines that a patient travels in their personal vehicle after being referred by a government hospital. “She was rushed to the hospital by her husband and the patient was panicking. She was immediately admitted and was taken to the labour room,” he said.

The doctor said the mother is fine and though she has tested positive for COVID-19, she is asymptomatic at present. She is more in shock, he said.

The woman’s husband said he had taken her for a routine checkup on Tuesday at a nursing home, where they suggested she undergo a test for Covid-19, which the doctors said was mandatory. “Her samples were collected and everything was normal, so we returned home. On Wednesday, we received a call from the nursing home that she has tested positive and that she had to be admitted to the Civil Hospital,” he said.

He said they rushed but the Civil Hospital refused to admit her and referred her to ESIC Hospital in Faridabad instead, as they were not fully equipped to deal with pregnant patients and deliveries.

“We were refused admission at 5.30pm and my wife started experiencing pain. It was the most challenging phase of my life. Without wasting time, I drove towards Faridabad and I tried to pacify my wife who was tense and was crying throughout,” said the husband.

He said doctors at Civil Hospital told them they do not have a separate labour room for Covid-19 patients.

The hospital’s principal medical officer, Deepa Sindhu, did not respond to calls seeking comment.

However, Dr Jaswant Singh Punia, chief medical officer, Gurugram said Covid-19 pregnant patients from now will be admitted to the Sector 31 polyclinic. “It is a 30-bed facility where we have made arrangements for expecting mothers. Those who are admitted in Faridabad will continue with their treatment there, while new cases from the district will be admitted at the polyclinic,” he said.

He added he was unaware that the patient was referred to Faridabad

The ESIC hospital in Faridabad has a protocol dedicated to the care of Covid-19 pregnant patients and has separate cubicles for pregnant women along with operation theatres and labour room, said Das.

The ESIC dean said that guidelines issued by the Centre for infants born to a Covid-19-positive mother should be tested within 24 hours of birth. If the baby’s initial sample is negative, another sample should be taken after 48 hours.

The samples of the baby born Wednesday would again be drawn on Friday for second testing, Das said.

The hospital has conducted more than six such deliveries in the past month, he added.