UP: HIV-positive woman loses child after hospital medical staff refuses to touch

The 20-year-old woman was left in labour pain for six hours with no doctor available to help her. Doctors allegedly delivered the woman's baby only when the hospital chief intervened. The baby died shortly after birth, according to the family.

In Uttar Pradesh, an HIV-positive woman lost her baby after government hospital doctors refused to touch her for several hours after she went into labour, according to her family. 

Doctors at the Firozabad hospital allegedly delivered the woman's baby only when the hospital chief intervened. The baby died shortly after birth. The hospital has ordered an investigation, according to the family. The woman's parents brought her to the medical college hospital on Monday afternoon. 

While talking to the media, the woman's father said, "We took her to a private hospital first, where they said the case was complicated and required Rs 20,000. We brought her to this hospital as I didn't have the money. They didn't touch my daughter. She was writhing in pain on a bed. I then called madam (the hospital's administrator), who arrived and intervened, and an operation was performed at 9:30 pm."

The 20-year-old woman was left in labour pain for six hours with no doctor available to help her, added her family. 

A field officer of an NGO affiliated with the National Aids Control Organization who accompanied the family to the hospital said, "At 3:00 pm, I got her admitted. No one touched her or performed any tests after we placed her on a stretcher. The woman was in severe pain till 9:00 pm, but no one touched her."

In charge and principal of the hospital, Sangeeta Aneja alleges doctors were not notified of her HIV status by her family or anybody else. 

Sangeeta Aneja said, "Around 3:00 pm, the patient came. The individuals who came with the patient did not tell doctors or anyone else about her HIV-positive status. As soon as I found out, I organised an investigation committee. I spoke with everyone, and they told me that tests were performed on her as if she were a regular patient, as they were unaware of her HIV status. They found out around 4:00 pm; after that, doctors were always present. The delivery took place around 9:00 pm. We will take action as soon as the inquiry report is released if anyone is determined to have done anything wrong."