Firozabad: In an alleged case of gross negligence, a 20-year-old HIV positive woman in Uttar Pradesh lost her baby because doctors at a government hospital refused to touch her for several hours after she went into labour.
Firozabad Medical College principal Dr Sangeeta Aneja said, “A probe has been ordered on the basis of a complaint received from the woman’s family.”
The woman’s father, who works in the bangle-making industry, said, “The private hospital was asking Rs 20,000 for normal delivery. After consulting the district field officer of National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), I took my daughter to the medical where she lay on a stretcher and kept crying in pain for over six hours. Despite repeated requests, no doctor came to help her.”
After a delay of over six hours, when the matter reached senior officials, a nurse took her to the labour room. She gave birth to a baby boy who was having breathing difficulties. The staff did not allow the family to see the child and took him to a special new-born care unit. The next morning, the child died.
NACO field officer Sarita Yadav said, “I had been keeping in constant touch with the HIV-positive woman. The family was unable to afford treatment at a private hospital so I called them to the medical college. But no doctor or hospital staffer came near her. For hours I requested medical assistance. The woman was in a lot of pain. I have apprised senior officials about the incident.”
The woman has been living with her parents in Firozabad after she got separated from her husband a year after her wedding.
She got the HIV infection soon after getting married, her family claimed.
Hospital in-charge Sangeeta Aneja, who is also the principal told NDTV “The patient came in around 3 pm. Those who were with the patient did not inform the doctors or anyone about her HIV positive status. As soon as I got to know I came here and formed an inquiry committee. I have spoken to everyone, they told me tests were performed on her like a regular patient since they were not aware of her HIV status. They found out around 4 pm, and even after that, doctors were present at all times. The delivery happened around 9 pm. As soon as the inquiry report is out, we will take action if anyone is found to have done anything wrong.”