Denied Ambulance, Madhya Pradesh Couple Carry Stillborn In Bike Side Box

In a disturbing incident that has emerged from Madhya Pradesh, a still born was kept in the side-box of a bike after its grieving parents were allegedly denied an ambulance by the hospital.

With the dead baby in the box, the parents drove to the District Collector's office to plead for help.

When the parents were asked to show the baby, the father, Dinesh Bharti, opened the box and took out a bag. The mother, Meena Bharti, carefully pulled out the tiny body from the folds of the bag and unwrapped it.

The father's story exposed egregious callousness at the hospital in Singrauli where he had taken his wife for the delivery of their child.

Dinesh Bharti took his wife to the district hospital on Monday for her delivery.

The couple claims they were directed to a private clinic by the doctor who was to deliver their baby. At the clinic, they were allegedly asked for Rs 5,000.

“I told them I have only Rs 3,000, but they said come back with Rs 5,000,” Dinesh Bharti told reporters. When they returned the next day, he was asked to get a fresh parchi or slip to start the procedure all over, though he had submitted one already.

When they returned for the delivery, the clinic asked for an ultrasound, which revealed that the baby was dead.

The clinic allegedly sent them back to the district hospital to deliver their still born.

The couple asked for an ambulance to take the baby back to their village but the hospital refused.

Dinesh Bharti placed the still born in the bike's side box and went with his wife and older child to the office of the District Collector for help.

The administration is inquiring into the couple's allegations of neglect.

“Whatever we have heard of this incident, we will gather facts and investigate. If there has been any lapse, we will take action,” assured Rajeev Ranjan Meena, the district collector.