Gurgaon: A woman was forced to give birth to her baby outside the main gate of a primary health centre (PHC) in Faridabad.On Sunday, Nurjahan, a resident of Balli village, developed severe labour pain around 3.30am. Her husband Mohsin took her to the Dhauj PHC along with relatives.The family allegedly found the gate locked. The family searched for medical staff but could not find a doctor or nursing staff, it said.A chowkidar was eventually called and the gate was opened, after which Nurjahan was taken inside the centre. Mohsin alleged that even after his wife was taken inside, nursing staff did not reach the facility for nearly an hour. As her labour progressed, she eventually gave birth outside the health centre.Nurjahan’s family recorded the incident on video, which surfaced two days later. The footage shows the woman sitting outside the PHC after delivery.Taking cognizance of the incident, Faridabad civil surgeon Dr Jayant Ahuja on Wednesday issued a show-cause notice to Dhauj PHC’s senior medical officer (SMO). “We have given the SMO three days’ time to explain how this incident happened,” Ahuja told TOI.The notice seeks an explanation of why the health centre’s main gate was locked, why the doctor and nursing staff were not available and how the situation led to the delivery taking place outside the facility.Mohsin said the delay in getting medical assistance had caused considerable distress to the family and could have put the mother and newborn at risk. He also alleged that the family had to wait for staff even after the delivery.Health department officials later attended to the woman and newborn. Both were examined and treated and were subsequently reported to be in stable condition. They were discharged after treatment.The latest incident comes around four months after a similar episode at a 30-bed first referral unit hospital in Sector 3.In May, another woman gave birth on the hospital premises after her family struggled to find medical staff at night. Two staffers were suspended after an inquiry into that incident.Balesh, a resident of Badoli village, was taken to govt hospital after she went into labour. Her family had alleged that they found the main gate locked when they reached the facility at around 1.40am. After repeatedly knocking and calling for help without getting a response, they entered the premises through another gate.The family had then searched for a doctor or nurse but could not find anyone to attend to the woman. With her labour progressing, Balesh gave birth in the hospital’s park with the assistance of a relative. She and the newborn were later shifted inside the hospital.
