Denied admission by clinic, she gave birth at roadside

A woman was forced to give birth on the roadside after being denied admission by the Gaibandha Mother and Children Welfare Center around 1:00am early yesterday.

The mother, Jemi Akter, wife of Hiru Mia of Saghata upazila, delivered a baby girl on a veranda of a roadside shop on DB road in Gaibandha town.

Speaking to local journalists, Jemi's family said, "We took her to the welfare centre last night after her labour pain began. But the Family Welfare Visitor Salina Aktar did not admit her even after we requested repeatedly. Without carrying out any tests or anything, they asked us to get out of the hospital."

They further alleged that the hospital authorities verbally and physically abused them to make them leave.

"Later, when we were taking Jemi to the Sadar Hospital, her baby started coming, so we stopped on the road and took her to a roadside shop," they said.

Contacted, Md Saiful Islam, deputy director of Gaibandha's Family Planning Office, said, "Two separate three-membered bodies have been formed to investigate this incident. The probe body we formed, headed by the district consultant Faruk Azam Nur, will submit a report to me within the next three days."

In Dhaka, the other probe body will submit a report to the director general of the Family Planning Office in this regard.

Saiful further said, "The patient's family members alleged that Salina Akter did not admit the pregnant mother. Therefore, she had to deliver her baby in a shop's veranda [on the way to Sadar Hospital]."

Speaking to The Daily Star, Salina Akter, family welfare visitor (FWV) of the Mother and Children Welfare Centre, said, "The patient came here in a severe condition around 11:30pm [on Tuesday]. When I saw the patient bleeding heavily, I was frightened and I told her brother to take her to another hospital as we could not treat a patient in such a serious condition."

"We did not scream or beat them up. Seeing this condition I become frightened," she claimed.

Contacted, Khan Mohammad Shahariar, officer-in-charge of the Gaibandha Sadar police station, said, "Around midnight, locals informed us that a woman was giving birth at a roadside market on DB road.

"I sent a petrol team to the spot. When it reached, the mother had already begun delivering on a veranda. Police tried to carry her to their vehicle but her condition was too bad."

After delivery, the mother and baby were taken to Gaibandha Sadar Hospital. Both of their conditions are stable now, he added.

"We are yet to receive any complaints against the welfare centre authorities," the OC further said.

However, on April 6, the same incident had occurred with another pregnant patient.

When Misty Akter, from Sadar upazila, had gone to the Mother and Children Welfare Centre, FWV Touhida Begum denied her admission and she too had to deliver a baby on the way to another hospital at midnight.

Aminul Islam, a doctor of Gaibandha Sadar Hospital, said, "We are providing Jemi and her baby with all the necessary treatment. They are both in good condition now."