Woman delivers child at hospital gate after ASHAs deny entry

Patna: The accredited social health activists (ASHAs), who have been on an indefinite strike since July 12, did not allow a pregnant woman in labour pain to enter the hospital building.

The helpless woman delivered a child on the floor at the gate of the primary healthcare centre in Samastipur on July 26.

An FIR was lodged on Saturday against six named persons after a video of the incident went viral on social media. In the video, the woman could be seen with her family members at the hospital gate trying to enter inside to seek medical aid. However, the protesting ASHAs did not allow the woman to enter inside.

Samastipur DM Yogendra Singh said the civil surgeon initiated an inquiry and subsequently lodged an FIR. The process has been initiated to terminate the permanent hospital employees who were also involved in that incident and refused to provide medical aid to the pregnant woman.

Samastipur civil surgeon Dr Sanjay Kumar Choudhary said both the mother and child were doing well. "Soon after delivering the baby, they were allowed to enter the hospital. It was the child's life which was more in danger," said Dr Choudhary, adding, "Everyone has the right to protest and keep their demand, but they cannot obstruct the treatment of a patient."

ASHAs across Bihar have been on strike since July 12 over their seven demands, including increasing the reward money from Rs1,000 to Rs10,000 as a regular monthly honorarium, status of state government employee along with the benefits of social welfare schemes like pension and immediate payment of their pending money. On Friday, the state health department had released Rs10 crore for payment of the pending money to be given to ASHAs and the facilitators.