NALGONDA: A day after a pregnant woman gave birth to a child on a chair in Nalgonda Government Hospital, the District Additional Collector (local bodies) T Purnachander issued show cause notices to four staff nurses and the duty doctor on Sunday for their alleged negligence while on duty.
Following this, seven gynaecologists from the hospital went on a mass protest against the notices given to the duty doctor. The incident occurred after midnight on August 22 when the woman, who was asked to walk outside the labour room, delivered a baby in the chair. Reportedly, there was no one to support the woman while she was suffering labour pain.
However, they said that they responded immediately and provided treatment to the mother and child. A hospital nurse said that it was impossible for one nurse to accompany every patient as there were only four nurses on night duty and there were 10 deliveries that day. They also said that the hospital does not have proper staff and facilities, but they are providing good service to the patients.
DC withdraws show cause notices
However, in the wake of seven gynaecologists’ mass leave, Nalgonda District Collector C Narayana Reddy, withdrew the show cause notices issued to the duty doctor and the staff nurses. However, the doctors who went on leave have not yet returned to work.
Second protest by doctors in three months
This is the second instance of doctors’ protest in three months. In June, doctors protested for two days after the district collector appointed officials from various departments to supervise the hospital. The doctors argued that only the Collector and Additional Collector have the authority to supervise them. In response, the District Collector clarified that the district officials’ role was to oversee patient services, not directly supervise the doctors.