Woman gives birth in ambulance after runaround

HP NEWS SERVICE
Shillong, Jul 1: A pregnant woman gave birth to a healthy baby boy in an ambulance after she was given the runaround by a number of medical facilities.
The issue was brought to light today by the ASHA worker at Umden Nongtluh, Francisca Khymdeit who is irate about the treatment meted to her relative.
“On June 29, the ailing pregnant mother accompanied by her husband went for a medical check-up at Umden PHC and was directed for scanning at Bethany Hospital, Nongpoh. Bethany Hospital, Nongpoh then referred her back to the Umden PHC with the report but the doctors at Umden PHC stated that it is a case of premature birth and referred her to Nongpoh Civil Hospital,” Khymdeit said today.
She also claimed that the authorities as Nongpoh Civil Hospital pleaded helplessness as the hospital lacks Special New Born Care Unit (SNBCU) facilities meant for premature birth and referred the mother to Ganesh Das Hospital, Shillong.
“We went back to Bethany Nongpoh just in case they can help the ailing mother but there was no doctor there at that time. We thought that it would be better to take the mother to a private hospital in Shillong with better facilities so we came to Roberts Hospital Shillong which however also said that they also do not have the SNBCU facilities,” she informed.
She informed that then they went to Nazareth Hospital, Shillong where authorities said that there is no more space in the SNBCU for the baby and referred them to take the mother to Ganesh Das Hospital.
“We did not want to take the mother to a government hospital and thought it would be better to take the mother to a private hospital so we took her to Bethany Hospital, Shillong,” she said.
She informed that on reaching Bethany Hospital Shillong around 11 pm the mother has to undergo some tests and was then shifted to a room.
“I was worried and inquired about the mother and a nurse told me I can go and check on her. When I went to check the mother, I was shocked to see her seated in a wheelchair the entire time in this very small room and the mother told me that no one attended to her,” Khymdeit said.
“Then to our great shock, we were suddenly and rudely told by the hospital staff that the mother has tested positive for Covid-19 and they informed us that they have called a 108 ambulance to take us to NEIGHRIMS,” she said.
“I was furious and told the staff there that they should have advised us immediately about the matter rather than make the pregnant mother wait for so long in a wheelchair. Instead, the staff told me that I should not be angry because they have called a 108 ambulance for us,” Khyndeit said.
“We were taken to NEIGHRIMS in the ambulance but on reaching there at about midnight the mother was refused admittance and we were directed to go to Ganesh Das Hospital. We requested the doctors at NEIGHRIMS who told us that it will take time for them to attend the mother since they will first have to wear their PPE kits etc,” she said.
Khymdeit informed that in the process of waiting, at about 1:55 am the mother gave birth to the child in a 108 ambulance itself with the help of the 108 staff.
She said that only after the mother gave birth was she attended and then taken to the isolation ward at NEIGHRIMS while they were told not to move anywhere.
“Till 7 am yesterday no one told us anything but later we were informed that the mother is not a Covid-19 positive patient and by 1 pm yesterday, she was shifted to the general ward at the hospital,” Khymdeit further said adding that such carelessness and rudeness by the medical staff is unacceptable which resulted in undue stress for the pregnant mother thereby putting her life and that of the then unborn baby at risk.