Daily Times

LAHORE: A woman reportedly gave birth to a child on the stairs of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on Friday after she was allegedly not allowed to enter the Labour Room for not possessing the hospital card.

According to details, Bushra Riaz, a resident of Badami Bagh area, came to hospital late on Thursday night for check-up. In the morning, after check-up, she reportedly left the gynaecology ward and gave birth to a child outside the Emergency Ward of the hospital, sources said.

The family members of the woman blamed doctors and hospital staff for forcing them to leave the hospital soon.

Soon after the incident, Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafiq reached the Ganga Ram Hospital and suspended the director of the emergency ward and formed an inquiry committee, comprising Services Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS) Principal Prof Dr Mehmood Ayaz as convener and Lady Wellingdon Hospital Professor of Gynaecology Dr Arshad Chohan and Lady Aitcheson Hospital Professor of Gynaecology Dr Farhat Naaz will work as its members, to investigate into the matter.

The minister gathered facts from the mother, her husband and the hospital staff. He said that the husband of the patient, Muhammad Riaz, and other attendants told him that the patient was admitted to the hospital’s Gynaecology Emergency Ward on Thursday night for the delivery of her child. He said that the husband of the patient said that his wife was examined by doctors and was given necessary medical instructions on Friday morning.

Talking to the media, Salman Rafique said that the patient and her attendants were fully satisfied with the hospital staff but an inquiry committee had been constituted to investigate into the matter and to ensure that such sort of incidents could be avoided in future.

Taking notice of the incident, the Punjab chief minister has ordered officials concerned to hold an inquiry, concluded the minister. The incident came just three days after a woman had given birth to a child outside the Raiwind Tehsil Headquarters Hospital (THQ) because there were no doctors at the medical facility.

Published in Daily Times, October 21^st 2017.