Four health department employees face action after woman gives birth under open sky at Ballia CHC

Ballia (UP), May 24 (PTI) Authorities have initiated action against the medical superintendent of a community health centre here and three other employees following an inquiry into a video showing a woman giving birth under the open sky on its premises, a health department official said on Saturday.

Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Ballia Dr Sanjeev Varman told PTI that he reached Sonbarsa Community Health Centre on Friday and investigated the matter.

The CMO said that the investigation has revealed "incompetence and negligence" on the part of the centre's medical superintendent Dr Rajesh Kumar.

He said that Kumar had not put the night guard as well as medical workers on duty at the health centre. Doctors and health workers were sleeping at their residences instead of being present at the centre.

Varman said that he has taken the matter seriously and has recommended action against Medical Superintendent Rajesh Kumar to the Director General of the department.

Along with this, Medical Officer Dr Vyas Kumar has been transferred to Garhwar, Superintendent Rajesh Kumar to Rigwan, Staff Nurse Priyanka Singh to Narhi and Staff Nurse Kanchan to Jaiprakash Nagar.

The incident has sparked outrage on social networking platforms as the video continues to circulate widely.

In the video, a woman is seen giving birth to a child near the gate of the hospital premises instead of the room of the health centre.

Her father-in-law told reporters that he reached the centre at around 2.30 am. The ambulance driver dropped them at the gate and left. No health worker was present in the hospital.

They waited for some time, but no employee came. Ultimately, the woman gave birth to the child on the floor of the verandah under the open sky.

A staff nurse came after some time but sent them back home without making any entry in the hospital register.

Samajwadi Party MLA Jai Prakash Anchal slammed the health department over the incident and demanded strict action against the guilty health workers.

Vijay Laxmi, daughter of former BJP MP Bharat Singh, staged a sit-in at the hospital premises on Friday. PTI COR NAV RT