Bhikangaon (Madhya Pradesh): The health department issued show-cause notices to a doctor and two auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) after a woman was forced to deliver a baby girl on the ground outside a primary health centre as the facility was locked, in Shivna village under Khargone tehsil on Wednesday morning.
As per reports, Shivna Primary Health Centre’s Dr Sakshi Soni, ANM Annapurna Chouhan and ANM Rajni Bhalrai were issued show-cause notices.
The woman, identified as Baisu of Ted village under Ziranya Tehsil, went into labour around 5 am. Her family rushed her to Shivna Primary Health Centre, three kilometres away from Ted village. Upon reaching at 5.30 am, they found the main gate locked with no doctor, nurse or staff on duty. Repeated phone calls went unanswered.
With pain becoming unbearable, Baisu’s mother-in-law Ramkabai and grandmother Reshambai delivered the baby themselves on the ground outside the hospital. A baby girl was born under the open sky.
Even after the delivery, the hospital remained locked and Baisu’s husband Ravindra, had to borrow keys from a neighbour to shift his wife and newborn inside the centre. The ANM arrived only at 10.15 am, around four hours later.
The same night, two other pregnant women were also turned away from the centre. Shivani Parte delivered a baby girl at Goradia health centre. Mamtabai gave birth to twins at Bhikangaon Hospital.
After the incident came to light, District Health Officer Dr Chandrajeet Singh Salve, pediatrician Dr Himanshu Agarwal and BMO Dr Deepak Shastre reached the spot.
Baisu and the child were referred to Khargone District Hospital after she complained of fever and chills.
