Woman delivers baby at Raisen hospital gate after ambulance driver leaves her unattended

Raisen (MP), Feb 28 (PTI) A 28-year-old woman delivered a baby girl at the main gate of the Raisen district hospital after a Janani Express ambulance driver allegedly dropped her outside and left in the wee hours, officials said on Saturday.

The "Janani Express Yojana" is a Central government-sponsored scheme which aims to provide free transport facilities for pregnant women to reach government health institutions for safe delivery.

According to officials, Munni Bai was shifted to the district hospital in a Janani Express vehicle on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday. The driver dropped her at the hospital gate and left, they added.

"The woman's husband had gone inside the hospital to get registration done when she developed severe labour pain and delivered a baby girl at the hospital gate around 3.15 AM," officials said, adding that a video of the incident has gone viral.

Hospital staff reached the spot immediately after being alerted and shifted the mother and newborn inside the medical facility at around 3:20 AM. Their condition is stated to be stable, they said.

Officials said this was the third delivery of the woman, who has two daughters.

District Hospital Civil Surgeon Dr Yashpal Balyan told PTI that it was the responsibility of the Janani Express driver to shift the pregnant woman inside the hospital and assist with registration.

He said the woman told authorities that she had repeatedly called the ambulance service, which arrived late, and the driver left her at the gate instead of ensuring her admission.

Dr Balyan said that he will write a letter to the private firm operating the ambulance service to take action against the driver.

Both the mother and the newborn are healthy and under observation, he added. PTI COR LAL NSK