A 27-year-old woman was allegedly forced to give birth on the roadside in Palwal on Sunday afternoon after doctors at the local government hospital refused to attend to her without a fresh ultrasound report, her family and police said on Tuesday, adding that the baby was declared dead soon after.
Hospital staff allegedly told the woman’s family that she could not be admitted for delivery until they produced a new ultrasonography report, despite the family showing one that was a week old. With no ambulance available, the woman’s husband placed her on a motorcycle and drove to a private diagnostic centre nearby, according to the family’s complaint filed with the police.
She never made it inside.
“She experienced severe labour pain just as she reached the entrance of the centre. She partially delivered the baby, a boy, while standing on the roadside,” a senior police officer aware of the case details said on Tuesday.
Passersby rushed to help before the mother and infant were taken to a private hospital, where the newborn was declared dead, police said.
The incident occurred between 2pm and 3pm on Sunday, roughly four hours after the woman had been brought to the Palwal Civil Hospital from her home in Sallagarh colony. Her family alleged that she had been screaming in labour pain for more than an hour without being attended to.
“A hospital official told us she would only see her if we got a new ultrasound,” her mother-in-law told HT.“We told her we already had a report from last week, but she refused to accept it. She even said the fetus’ heart rate was low, yet still forced us to go outside for the test following which we had no option but to rush her on a motorcycle after failing to get any ambulance at the hospital.”
Officers said the hospital’s in-house ultrasonography unit remains closed on Sundays because the staff are on weekly off. Patients requiring scans are routinely referred to private centres located near the hospital.
Following the baby’s death, the family returned to the hospital and staged a protest alleging medical negligence, prompting the police control room to intervene.
Inspector Parkash Chand, station house officer of Palwal City Police Station, said the infant’s body was sent for autopsy on Monday. “The autopsy report will clarify whether the baby was stillborn or died after delivery. It will be shared with the health department for action,” he said.
Deputy civil surgeon (Palwal) Dr Suresh Burolia said a detailed report has been sought from the civil hospital. “Once we receive the report, we will know when the woman was brought in and why they sought an ultrasonography report at a time when she was on the verge of giving birth. It will also help us determine if the child could have been saved by timely intervention,” he said.
“Necessary action will be taken afterwards against the erring doctor or the staff of the maternity ward for negligence which resulted in such an incident,” he added.