Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (EP)

Kundapur, Jun 5: In a distressing incident, the taluk government hospital here allegedly sent back a heavily pregnant woman who was experiencing labour pains, apparently as there were no doctors to examine her. The anguished parents of the woman later filed a complaint with the Kundapur Mahila Santwana Kendra.

Asha, wife of Koni resident Santhosh, had gone to the government hospital from her mother’s house after she started experiencing labour pains. Arathi, the doctor in the hospital had gone home as her duty hours had ended. Asha reached the hospital at around midnight on Sunday June 4. Vinaya and Shanthi, nurses in the hospital told Asha that she would not be delivering for another two days, and as there were no doctors around, asked her to go to Udupi.

Asha’s aunt then called up Asha's doctor Chandrashekar, but he reportedly told her that he could not see Asha as he was on leave, and asked her aunt to take Asha to Udupi. He asked the nurses at the hospital to make arrangements to shift Asha to Udupi immediately. The nurses in turn told Asha and her aunt to call 108 ambulance.

However, though Asha's aunt called the government-run 108 ambulance several times, there was no response. As nobody picked the call after several attempts, Asha and her aunt again pleaded with the nurses to get an ambulance for them. But the staff allegedly refused.

It was midnight and raining heavily. Having no vehicle to take Asha to another hospital, her aunt requested passing vehicles to help her take her to hospital. After a long time, finally, Praveen, an auto driver stopped, despite having passengers in his auto. When he listened to the trouble the women were in, he asked his passengers to get down and took the distressed women to a private hospital in Kundapur.

Just 10 minutes after getting admitted to the private hospital, Asha gave birth to a girl.

Asha's aunt and uncle have complained about the matter to Kundapur Mahila Santwana Kendra urging to ensure that such incidents do not recur. President of Santwana Kendra, Radhadas has submitted a written complaint to taluk medical officer Udayashanker, who assured of disciplinary action if the complaint was proved.

There have been similar complaints reportedly in social websites that patients are being sent back due to unavailibility of doctors and amenities in hospitals.

Speaking to daijiworld later, Asha spoke about the apathy she had face at the hands of the government hospital nurses, who told her that they were not responsible if the 108 ambulance did not respond. "Would they have said that if this had happened to their family member?" she said.