LAHORE: A woman gave birth to a baby boy in a rickshaw outside Lahore General Hospital (LGH) on Sunday night.

The relatives of the 20-year-old woman alleged that she was denied admission to the emergency ward whereas the LGH administration claimed Kainat delivered the baby while entering into the healthcare facility.

A female relative said the family members were in a birthday function at Chungi Amer Sidhu when Kainat complained of labour pains. She was immediately taken to the emergency ward but was denied admission on two pretexts.

“The staff first demanded neo-natal card which we didn’t have and asked us to take her to some other hospital. Before we could move, she gave birth to the baby in the rickshaw near the entrance to the emergency ward. She was admitted to the gynaecology ward and provided treatment after some TV channels aired the news,” said the veiled relative.

Family alleges she was denied admission to LGH emergency ward

However, Post-Graduate Medical Institute Principal Prof Ghiasun Nabi Tayyab said Kainat gave birth to the child in the rickshaw before entering into the hospital.

He said the family had come from a Kasur village to attend a function at a relative’s house near the LGH.

Quoting the father and husband of Kainat, Prof Tayyab said they had no complaint against the hospital administration. He said after knowing the situation, the LGH staff responded promptly, brought the mother and the newborn to the gynae ward and provided them with all possible medical care. “Now both Kainat and her newly born son are in good health,” he said.

Last month, two women had to give birth to babies outside state-run healthcare facilities after they were refused admission there on one pretext or other.

On Oct 17, a woman gave birth to a baby at the roadside near the Raiwind Tehsil Headquarters Hospital after she was reportedly refused admission to the health facility on the pretext of non-availability of a gynaecologist.

On Oct 20, a woman gave birth to a baby boy in the underpass connecting two portions of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. She was first taken to Lady Willingdon Hospital and doctors there allegedly refused to admit her and referred her to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital because she did not have the neo-natal card of the infirmary.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2017