LUCKNOW: After being denied admission to community health centre (CHC) for want of Adhaar card or ration card as identity proof, a pregnant woman delivered at the CHC gate in Shahganj area of Jaunpur district on Monday. Taking notice of the incident, Jaunpur Chief Medical Officer (CMO) has constituted a team of two medical officers to probe into the matter on Tuesday.
According to reports, writhing in intense labour pain, Chanda, 22, wife of labourer Ajay, was brought to the CHC in Shahpur on Monday. The CHC medical staff allegedly refused her admission as her
attendants were not carrying any document like adhaar card, bank passbook or ration card to prove her identity.
Hailing from Rae Bareli district, Chanda lives with her husband in a makeshift house in Bibiganj area of Shahganj. While her husband was exploring other options, she could not hold it and deliver the child at the CHC gate. This alarmed the medical staff and they admitted her in a huff even without a proof.
However, contradicting the claims of the couple, Jaunpur CMO Dr OP Singh said that admission could never be denied even if there was no document to substantiate the identity of the patient. “It seems to be a case of misunderstanding. The documents were demanded by the staff to enable the couple get cash incentive of Rs 1400 which had to be credited to woman’s account directly.” To promote institutional deliveries the government gives cash incentive of Rs 1,400 for rural woman and Rs 1,000 for urban woman under Janani Suraksha Yojana.
The CMO added that the hospital staff might have asked for the document as the Mother Child Tracking (MCT) card was linked with Aadhaar card.
However, a probe was ordered into the incident. “We have constituted a team of two medical officers including an additional CMO to look into the matter. Proper action would be taken if anyone will be found guilty of medical negligence,” assured CMO Singh.
He said that the woman’s kin perhaps failed to understand it and left the hospital without informing anyone. But, the lady while moving out and gave birth to the child on the stretcher itself. “The woman along with baby was immediately hospitalized and given treatment. Both, the mother and the child are doing well at the hospital,” maintained the CMO.