Doctor transferred for refusing patient's admission, cries foul

Alwar: After reports emerged that an eight-month pregnant woman was allegedly refused admission in three different hospitals in Rajasthan's Alwar district before she finally delivered her baby outside a Community Health Centre (CHC), the accused doctor, who has been relieved with an APO (Awaiting Posting Order), has decried the order by the Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO), saying that the action was taken without a proper inquiry into the matter.

"No inquiry has taken place. I wasn't asked anything. The Reproductive and Child Health Officer (RCHO) came to me on July 3 and asked whether the admission ticket that was found with the patient was made in the hospital. I said it was made by me. In fact, I got the information that the patient, instead of going inside had gone away through the media only," Dr. Kanchan Batra, the doctor on duty at the time of the incident, said.

"We have 16 beds in our labour room and more than 40 patients are admitted on a single day. That day, between 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., out of 216 patients, 35 were admitted to the labour room. Her ticket was made at 11.38 a.m. and since it was a computerised ticket, the time is the ultimate proof. And after that neither the CMHO, nor the RCHO took any statement from me. They just took the action. I am now on Awaiting Posting Order (APO) without any inquiry," the doctor added.

Dr. Batra further said that there were no complications in her pregnancy and that's why she delivered on her own.

The doctors of the district hospital, however, are presenting a united front in support of Dr. Batra even as they held a strike for two hours on Wednesday.

"We'll see what more we can do in case the administration doesn't do anything," she said.

"Along with me, action has been taken against the Akbarpur CHC doctor and the nurse who didn't check on the patient. They were relieved on July 1. I got the information last night. They have taken the action on the behalf of the media. They are being partial," she added.

Dr. Bhagwan Sahay, the Principal Medical Officer (PMO), has assured of a proper inquiry.

"We have set up a committee and will do an inquiry. According to the CMHO, who produced the order, the doctor is at fault for not properly counselling the patient. But prima facie, it doesn't look like it's the doctor's fault. A doctor cannot escort every patient till the ward. The doctor made the ticket and asked the patient to get admitted. Now why she didn't do it will be found after the inquiry only," he said.

"Today, a two-hour strike was held. It's expected to continue tomorrow, though I haven't got anything in written," he added.

It was earlier reported that on July 1, Lacha Devi, along with her husband, visited the Akbarpur CHC for consultation from where they were sent to the Alwar district hospital.

The woman was then taken to the Satellite Hospital in Alwar's Kala Kuan area where she was referred to the Zanana Hospital from where they returned home.

Devi then experienced intense labour pain and was rushed to the Akbarpur CHC again where she delivered a baby girl outside the hospital.

Meanwhile, Alwar CMHO Shyam Sundar Agarwal said an action would be taken after an inquiry report is tabled after which two on-duty doctors and a nurse were relieved for APO.

The State Women Commission has also sought an inquiry into the matter.