Newly born child dies at Budaun hospital as nurse 'sleeps during duty hours'

BAREILLY: A newly born child died within minutes of birth “in want of proper treatment” at a community health centre (CHC) in Budaun as the nurse on duty was allegedly sleeping and didn’t attend to the child even when members of his family repeatedly called her. The district medical officer has ordered a probe after the child’s grandmother filed a police complaint.

A resident of Gargaiya Gotia village under Vazirganj police station limits in Budaun, Mamta Kumari (28), wife of Pradeep Kumar, was admitted at Saidpur CHC on Tuesday evening after she had developed labour pain.

In her complaint lodged with police, Mamta’s mother-in-law Chamoli Devi stated, “At the CHC, nurse on duty Vinita earlier refused to admit her saying that the delivery would be done the next morning. But when we insisted and said that my daughter-in-law had started labour pains, only then she could be admitted. Around 12 am, she gave a tablet to Mamta and left the hospital to take rest at her home.”

In the meantime, labour pains got aggravated and soon Mamta gave birth to a boy.

“I was running like mad in search of a doctor or nurse from one room to another but not a single employee was there to take care of my daughter-in-law and the baby. I made several phone calls to the nurse but she didn’t receive my call and kept sleeping. In want of proper treatment, the infant couldn’t survive and died within few minutes of birth. For such high level of negligence, the nurse is fully responsible,” she said in her complaint.

SHO inspector Pradeep Yadav told TOI, “During initial probe, a nurse is found responsible for the incident and we have sent our report to the chief medical officer. Now, if he instructs us after completing departmental inquiry, we will lodge the FIR taking further action in the matter.”

Meanwhile, CMO Dr Manjeet Singh said, “I have sought a report from CHC in-charge. Since, I was in Bareilly on Wednesday to attend a meeting presided over by divisional commissioner, I am yet to go through the report and only after that any action will be taken.”