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In a disturbing case of medical negligence, a woman in Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam district was twice turned away by a government-run community health center, forced to give birth on a pushcart but the baby died.
In a disturbing case of medical negligence, a woman in Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam district was twice turned away by a government-run community health center, forced to give birth on a pushcart but the baby died.
The incident took place in Sailana, 160 km from Indore, in the early hours of March 24. However, it came to light only on Friday after CCTV footage surfaced, showing the desperate husband transporting his pregnant wife on a handcart. Following widespread outrage, the district administration has issued a show-cause notice to Sailana block medical officer (BMO) Dr. P.C. Koli and suspended nurses Chetna Charel and Gayatri Patidar for gross negligence.
According to a report by Times of India (TOI), Krishna Gwala took his pregnant wife, Neetu, to the community health center at around 9 am on March 23. Nurse Chetna, who was on duty, dismissed her condition, claiming that delivery was still "two to three days away," and sent them home.
By 1 am, Neetu experienced, prompting her husband to rush her back to the hospital. This time, another nurse, Gayatri, examined her and allegedly declared that delivery was "still 15 hours away," refusing to admit her yet again. Helpless and with no choice, the couple returned home.
Just two hours later, Neetu went into labor. With no vehicle available in the dead of night, Krishna, in sheer desperation, placed her on a makeshift pushcart and rushed toward the hospital. But fate had already dealt a cruel hand.
As the pushcart rattled down the road, Neetu delivered the baby mid-journey. By the time they reached the hospital, the newborn's legs had emerged while the head remained inside. The nurse on duty finally assisted in completing the delivery but it was too late. The baby was stillborn.
Madhya Pradesh : A pregnant woman was turned away twice from the govt hospital in Sailana, she later suffered labour pain again at night, helpless husband took her to the hospital on a push-cart, delivery took place on the way, but the newborn died. pic.twitter.com/jJmFrNKj1C
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear)Neetu filed a formal complaint with SDM Manish Jain on Thursday that the case gained traction. A day later, CCTV footage of her grueling ordeal surfaced on social media, sparking outrage.
Taking swift action, Collector Rajesh Batham ordered an investigation. The inquiry report confirmed severe negligence, leading to the suspension of the two nurses and a show-cause notice against the block medical officer. Additionally, authorities have recommended action against Dr. Shailesh Dange, who was on duty but allegedly failed to attend to the patient.
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