Odisha woman gives birth in auto, kept waiting for 1 hr in hospital verandah

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Jajpur, Apr 21:

A woman gave birth to baby in an auto in which she was being taken to Jajpur district hospital by her relatives, after ASHA worker did not turn up in Bisubata village in Koraput district of Odisha.

Worse, she was kept waiting for 15 minutes in the auto in front of the hospital as no health worker came forward to help.With no stretcher or wheel chair available, the family members had to make her walk to the hospital verandah, where she lay for an hour, the woman’s family has alleged.

Gopal Jani’s wife Padma started suffering from labour pains yesterday morning , but the ASHA worker could not be contacted. Therefore, he was forced to bring his wife in an autorickshaw. She gave birth to a son when they were two kms away from the hospital.

After they reached the hospital they were told that doctor and nurse were busy with a labour case. Padma was made to wait for 15 minutes in the auto itself, later the family member and health worker made her walk to the hospital verandah.

Only after an hour the new born was taken for immunisation, while Padma kept lying on the floor.

Meanwhile, the hospital authorities have denied the allegation and said that the patient was attended as soon as she came into the hospital.And bringing the patient to the hospital was the job of the ASHA worker.