Newborn Dies After Delivery in Govt Hospital Toilet, Probe Ordered

A panel of doctors here is examining allegations that a newborn baby died on Wednesday after being born in a state hospital toilet when staff refused to accept her.

The family claimed that the newborn fell into the toilet during childbirth, and could not be expelled in time.

However, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Ashwini Kumar claimed that the birth – or stillbirth – took place in a toilet, but denied allegations that the hospital refused to care for the woman in labor.

Jagnayak Singh, a resident of Jothani village, said he brought his wife Rashmi Singh to the Government Mother and Child Hospital around 5 am on Wednesday after she was going through labor pains.

“We pleaded with the staff at the hospital to accept my wife but they refused to do anything and told us to wait until the doctors arrived,” Singh told PTI.

My wife went to the bathroom in the reception in pain, as she had the baby. And the child fell into the toilet and died.

According to local residents, the hospital staff and family members tried to save the newborn. But by the time the baby was taken out, it was already too late. Then the mother was admitted to the labor room and her condition was said to be critical.

Denying the allegations against the hospital, the Director of Military Operations said, “The woman’s doctor saw and told her there was no fetal heartbeat. The woman was told to wait for an ultrasound to clarify the situation.” But the officer confirmed that the woman gave birth inside the bathroom, and added that an investigation had been ordered to look into the allegations.

A committee of three doctors was set up to investigate the matter. “Strict measures will be taken against those found guilty of the incident,” the director of military operations said.

(This story was not edited by the News18 staff and was published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)