A woman was forced to deliver her baby in the park of a government hospital in the middle of the night because the main gate was locked and no medical staff responded to desperate cries for help.
A shocking case of alleged medical negligence from Faridabad has triggered outrage after a woman was forced to deliver her baby in the park of a government hospital in the middle of the night because the main gate was locked and no medical staff responded to desperate cries for help.
The disturbing incident took place early Saturday at the 30-bed First Referral Unit hospital in Sector 3. The woman, identified as Balesh from Badoli village, had been rushed to the hospital after going into labour.
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According to the family, they first reached the hospital’s main gate only to find it locked. Despite repeated knocking and shouting for help, no doctor, nurse, or hospital staff came forward.
According to Balesh, the family then located another gate at the back, which was open, and entered the premises looking for assistance. Even then, she alleged, no doctor, nurse or support staff came to their aid.
With labour pains intensifying rapidly and no emergency response in sight, the baby was eventually delivered in the hospital park itself with the help of a relative experienced in childbirth. The delivery procedures were carried out under torchlight before the mother and newborn were finally shifted inside the hospital.
"My husband and brother-in-law kept shouting for help after entering the hospital premises, but no staff came. By the time help reached us, the delivery had already taken place," she added.
"The baby was delivered by a woman in the family who had some experience handling childbirth," said Chaman Chandila, who accompanied Balesh.
The woman later gave birth to her third son.
District deputy civil surgeon Dr Rachna said the patient had arrived in a fully dilated condition and delivered within minutes. "The OPD gate was shut at night, though another gate was open for emergency services. It's unfortunate that the delivery took place outside the hospital," she added.
The incident sparked immediate backlash, forcing the health department to launch an inquiry on the directions of the health minister and the director general of health services.
"There were deficiencies. The issue was the non-availability of an employee and a staff nurse at night. The patient's attendants said they could not find them when they searched," he added.
Officials confirmed that the hospital had been keeping one gate shut at night, but new instructions have now been issued to ensure easier emergency access.
Yadav said the hospital had been keeping one gate shut at night, but had now been asked to keep both accessible. "The main road entry should remain open at night, while the OPD side will remain barricaded. We found two staff guilty. They were suspended," he added.
The Haryana government has also announced plans to establish a maternal and infant mortality “war room” within the next one or two months to better monitor pregnant women and strengthen emergency medical response systems.
