Kashish Sharma
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As per the woman’s husband, the video of his wife giving birth on the floor was taken by other patients present on the premises
A few days have passed to a 38-year-old heavily pregnant woman in Punjab allegedly being denied admission to the labour room of a civil hospital and forced to deliver the baby in a corridor. The incident was reported in Pathankot Civil hospital where it happened. The issue gained national importance when the video of the same had gone viral on social media and Punjab Health Minister ordered an inquiry into the matter. Reportedly, the hospital authorities have completed their investigation and have submitted their reports to the state government.
In the last week of September, a woman was brought to the Pathankot Civil Hospital by her husband after she had gone into labour. The woman's family alleged that they were denied entry to the labour room and were referred to an Amritsar hospital instead, following which the woman allegedly had to deliver her baby on the floor of the hospital's corridor.
As per the woman's husband, the video of his wife giving birth on the floor was taken by other patients present on the premises. The husband informed that no staff member had come to provide them with a bed while his wife lay there suffering in pain. Reportedly, the accused senior medical officer (SMO) has falsified the allegations. Reportedly, the SMO informed that the woman who was heavily pregnant had gone through no tests and ultrasound and her husband who brought her to the hospital was in an inebriated state. The SMO said that the husband prevented her from getting admitted to the labour room.
Doctors on duty claimed that the couple had not brought the mandatory reports without which they could have not gone further with the delivery.
Incidents such as these are very common in the country with sometimes the medical faculty showing negligence and other times the patients being too obstinate in their ways.
In July 2022, a similar incident gained public attention when a woman was seen giving birth to a baby near a waste bin outside the emergency ward of Safdurjung Hospital, in Delhi. The hospital had claimed that the doctors had examined the woman and had offered her an admission letter but then she had not returned with the same.
The incidents mentioned above have initiated surprise inspections in hospitals across the country. While in some cases, the negligence is on part of the medical faculty, in other cases it is fear, lack of awareness or lack of trust in doctors among patients that hold them back from claiming the healthcare they deserve. All of us would be patients at some point in our life. Hence, it is always useful to get ourselves familiar with the rights we own when it comes to receiving healthcare-