Tribal Woman Delivers Baby in Hospital Porch, Attendants Cut Umbilical Cord as Staff Look On, Unmoved by the Pain

Dungarpur, Rajasthan- Despite ongoing efforts to improve healthcare access in rural India, tribal communities continue to bear the brunt of systemic negligence. In a harrowing incident, a pregnant woman was forced to deliver her baby in the porch of the Peeth Government Primary Health Centre in Dungarpur district after hospital staff allegedly denied her care, leaving her and her family to manage the delivery themselves.

Local journalist Gunwant Kalal, who reported the incident to The Mooknayak, shared that Sura, wife of Mahesh Damor and a resident of Navaghara Bhachdiya village, began experiencing intense labor pain on December 1. Her family immediately rushed her to the nearest medical facility, the Peeth government health centre, in the hope of receiving urgent medical attention. However, the two nursing staff members present at the hospital reportedly refused to examine her, instead advising the family to travel to the Simalwara Community Health Center (CHC), several kilometers away.

The family, distressed and without the means to immediately arrange for transportation, pleaded with the staff to provide at least basic assistance. Their pleas fell on deaf ears. As Sura’s labor pains worsened, she collapsed on the hospital porch. With no medical help in sight, she delivered her baby on the ground, surrounded only by her distraught family members.

To make matters worse, the hospital staff allegedly stood by, refusing to intervene even after the baby was born. It was Sura's relatives who cut the umbilical cord and attended to the newborn as best as they could. Both mother and child were left unattended for nearly half an hour before being transported to the Simalwara CHC for post-delivery care.

Protests Erupt Over Hospital Negligence

The incident ignited widespread outrage among the local community. Villagers staged a protest outside the hospital, demanding immediate action against the negligent staff and improved healthcare services for the region's tribal population.

In response to the protests, Dungarpur’s Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO), Dr. Alankar Gupta, visited the hospital to address the grievances of the protesters. Dr. Gupta assured the community that action would be taken and subsequently issued an Awaiting Posting Order (APO) for Dr. Jai Singh Choudhary, the in-charge doctor at Peeth Hospital. Additionally, a committee has been formed to investigate the incident and recommend further action against any staff found guilty of negligence.

Conflicting Claims by Hospital Staff

Amid the mounting backlash, Dr. Rohit Labana, another doctor affiliated with the hospital, denied the allegations of negligence. Speaking to media persons, Dr. Labana claimed that the hospital officially operates from 9 a.m., and the family arrived before working hours. He further stated that neither the nursing staff nor any doctor was informed in advance about the case.

Dr. Labana also pointed out infrastructural challenges, explaining that the hospital staff currently operates out of residential quarters due to the primary health center's dilapidated condition. He claimed that this logistical issue may have contributed to the lack of timely assistance.

“The lack of empathy and urgency shown in this case is appalling,” said Gunwant Kalal. “For a woman to be left to deliver her child on the porch of a hospital speaks volumes about the state of healthcare in our tribal areas.”

Popat Khokhariya, a social activist and leader of the Bharat Adivasi Party, expressed his concerns about the dire state of healthcare facilities in Dungarpur. He highlighted that at Chaurasi, government doctors posted at various health centers often run their private clinics, making them unavailable to patients at government hospitals, resulting in severe suffering. Khokhariya praised the CMHO for taking immediate action by issuing an APO order and initiating an inquiry into the incident. However, he warned that if stringent action is not taken against the responsible staff, they will organize another protest in five days.