Jhansi:
Sonu Parihar and Rajabeti got married in 2018 and immediately wanted a child, so when Rajabeti finally got pregnant last year, the couple was overjoyed. Rajabeti went into labor on Thursday evening and delivered a baby girl at Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in UP's Jhansi, the same hospital where 18 newborns lost their lives in a fire in November, unaware that the alleged lack of facilities in the hospital would also kill their lives of their daughter.
Parihar claims that after the birth of their daughter, she suffered from breathing difficulties and doctors referred her to Jhansi District Hospital as they had no oxygen cylinders and could spare a bed. The district hospital also refused to admit her, forcing him to make rounds at several other hospitals in an ambulance for five hours before returning to the medical college.
Parihar said he was sent away again and his daughter died in the ambulance.
However, authorities at the medical college have said that the baby has been referred to Jhansi District Hospital as their Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is still being reconstructed after the fire, leaving them without ventilators for babies. They also said that the baby had died by the time her father took her back to the medical college.
From one hospital to another
“We wanted a baby ever since we got married. My wife ended up giving birth to a girl and she died within five hours of birth. What should I tell my wife now?” Parihar said between sobs.
The grieving father said that when Rajabeti was in labor in their village of Madawara in Lalitpur district on Thursday, he took her to the local community hospital. From there, she was referred to Lalitpur District Hospital and then to Maharani Laxmi Bai Medical College in Jhansi.
“On Friday she gave birth to a baby girl at 7am and the doctors told us that the baby was having breathing difficulties. They said they had no oxygen cylinders or bed for the baby and asked us to go to Jhansi District Hospital. the district hospital said they could not admit her as they did not have a ventilator and I then went to several hospitals, including private ones, but was turned away every time,” Parihar said.
'When I finally returned to medical college with my daughter, I was sent away again. I lost her. She died in the ambulance,” he sobbed.
'No ventilator'
Medical college superintendent Sachin Mahor said they had to refer the girl to the district hospital as they did not have a ventilator.
“Rajabeti was admitted on Thursday evening and her condition was not good. On Friday morning she delivered a child after we operated on her and the baby had several problems when she was born. She also suffered from breathing problems. Because work is going on at Our NICU and we do not have a ventilator, we have referred the baby to Jhansi Hospital,” he said.
“Perhaps the baby could not be admitted there either. The child was dead when the father brought her here. The question of no bed does not arise. How was Rajabeti operated if we had no bed available?” he added to.
