Controversy has erupted amidst the coronavirus pandemic as Rajasthan Tourism Minister Vishvendra Singh has accused the Zenana Hospital at Bharatpur of refusing to admit a patient on the ground of her being a Muslim. The woman was referred to Jaipur and she delivered the baby on the way in an ambulance and it died. The hospital has ordered an investigation.
The minister took to Twitter to raise the issue. He posted a video and said, “Pregnant Muslim woman was refused medical attention at the Zenana Hospital in Bharatpur and was told to go to Jaipur given her religion. Local Bharatpur MLA is state health minister and this is the condition of the hospital in Bharatpur city. Shameful.”
The woman Parveena and her husband Irfan Khan are residents of Nagar in Bharatpur. Demanding action against the doctors Irfan said, “My wife was bleeding since last night and I took her to CHC in Sikri. They referred us to the district hospital at Bharatpur. At Bharatpur they asked my name and said you are a Muslim your treatment will not be possible. They referred us to Jaipur. The baby died on the way. I seek justice and action should be taken against the doctors.”
Bharatpur is a part of the Mewat region that includes areas of Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh where there is a sizeable Muslim population also a strong presence of Tablighi Jamaat.
Referring to the Jamaat in another tweet, Singh said, “The Jamaat most certainly has been hazardous to the entire country. However, it does not mean that citizens of the Islamic faith are treated the way a pregnant lady was handled by the doctors in Bharatpur Zenana Hospital. The local MLA is also Minister of State for Health.”
Rupendra Jha, Medical Officer, Zenmaat most certainly has been hazardous to the entire country and Hospital Bharatpur said, “The doctor checked the patient when she came. The doctor checked her and asked for investigation to be done, prescribed antibiotics and gave a course of treatment. She was bleeding and the nurse administered injections. After delivery it can be seen that the child has a very small head that is why the abortion occurred.”
When asked if the woman was turned away on the grounds of being a Muslim the MO said, “This is a matter of investigation. We will conduct an investigation, it will be done in a day.”
Insiders in the Congress feel that the two ministers from Bharatpur, Singh and Garg, are engaged in a tussle of supremacy since the government has been formed. Singh has been vocal in opposing Garg on various occasions.The minister on Saturday also accused the government of not enforcing lockdown at the Rajasthan-Haryana border in Bharatpur.
