Aligarh: A woman in Uttar Pradesh was forced to give birth to her child in the bushes surrounding a community health centre (CHC) after the authorities allegedly drove her out for failing to pay a bribe of Rs 1,000.
The incident in Aligarh district’s Iglas town flies in the face of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s claims of a poor-friendly health service.
The woman was brought to the district hospital after the intervention of the local civic body chairman.
The superintendent of Iglas CHC has said action will be taken following a thorough investigation of the allegations.
This video footage of the birthing has also gone viral.
The grandmother Ramshree Devi told ThePrint that her daughter Suman went into labour Friday morning and was rushed to the CHC. The nurses and other health staff, however, refused to admit Suman without a payment of Rs 1,000, Ramshree said. They were apparently booted out because they did not have the money.
Suman’s pain increased as they walked out of the health centre, and she was helped deliver the baby by the women present in the area. They could afford some modesty for Suman by forming a “wall of sarees”. The child was born next to a public thoroughfare.
After the incident, several women complained to Kamlesh Sharma, the chairman of the Iglas municipality.
Suman was immediately taken to the district women’s hospital in a government ambulance, where she is under treatment. The newborn is also under special care.
Meanwhile, the Aligarh health department has launched an inquiry into the event. CHC Superintendent Dr Rohit Bhati said staff found responsible for this brutish behavior would be severely punished.
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