Woman Gives Birth On Vegetable Cart, Outside Haryana Hospital, In Bitter Cold

A woman gave birth to a baby on a vegetable cart on the premises of the government-run district hospital in Haryana's Ambala yesterday after the doctors allegedly refused to pay attention to her husband's repeated requests for help. The baby was born out of doors on one this winter's coldest evenings.

"It was God who saved them," her husband said. "I considered doctors and hospital staff as God. But after last night's events, I have lost faith in these hospital staff," he added.

The man -- a resident of Dappar, a city in Punjab's Mohali district-- had been running from pillar to post after managing to bring his pregnant wife to the hospital. But no one was ready even to bring a stretcher for her, he said.

The woman finally gave birth out in the open, on the street near the hospital gates.

There was panic in the hospital as the news spread and the mother and child were finally taken inside and installed in a ward.

The matter has also been reported to state health minister Anil Vij, who said there will be a thorough investigation and the guilty will be punished.

"This information has to be checked. We provide ambulances and free delivery service. So whether they were informed or not – I will get everything investigated. If there has been any negligence, action will be taken," Mr Vij said.

The hospital authorities say they have formed a committee to investigate the issue. The report will be available in a couple of days, said Sangeeta Singla, the Principal Medical Officer of the city's Civil Hospital.

Asked what action will be taken, she said, "We will give them a warning. Why the special case was not checked. If the patient was in such a state that she delivered on arrival, the staff on duty -- doctors, nurses -- should have been there to attend to her," she told reporters.