HASSAN: A woman gave birth to a baby in an auto rickshaw in front of Shantigrama primary health unit in Hassan district late on Thursday after hospital staff allegedly refused to admit her demanding a COVID-19 test report.
The woman's husband and in-laws brought her to Shantigrama PHU from Halasinahalli when she developed severe labour pains. She gave birth to a baby boy around 12.10 am in the autorickshaw.
Learning about the incident, hospital staff rushed to the spot and shifted the mother and infant to the delivery ward. Sources said both the mother and baby are healthy.
Protesting the incident, the kin of the patient and villagers gathered in front of the hospital and condemned the attitude of the health staff by raising slogans. The villagers also urged the district health officer to suspend the nurses on duty on charges of dereliction of duty.
The nurses on night duty allegedly lodged a complaint against the driver of the auto rickshaw at Shantigrama police station for recording the episode and posted it on social media. On condition of anonymity, one of the health staff said the woman gave birth before visiting the hospital. The DHO was not available for comment in this regard.