A newborn baby died here today shortly after being born on the footpath outside a government hospital, with the mother alleging that hospital authorities denied her admission seeking proof of her marriage.
Ashaben Bariya, who was six months pregnant, gave birth outside Ruxmaniben Government Hospital in Khokhra area here after the doctors asked her to go to another hospital because they had no incubators for pre-mature babies.
But her brother alleged that she was denied admission because she did not have a marriage proof with her.
"The doctors asked me to produce proofs related to my sister's marriage. I told them that it was an emergency, but they did not listen and asked us to leave.
My sister delivered on the footpath while we were waiting for the ambulance to take us to another hospital. The baby died soon," he said.
Bariya, a resident of Ramol area, rushed to Ruxmaniben hospital with her brother Rakesh in an auto-rickshaw this afternoon after she began labour pains.
The hospital authorities, however, denied the allegations levelled on them.
"She was six months pregnant and was about to deliver a baby as she was bleeding when she came here. Since we do not have incubator to handle pre-mature babies, I asked her to immediately rush to LG Hospital in Maninagar where the facility is available," Medical officer R H Vaghasiya said.
"But before they could reach there the woman delivered on the road," he said.
Khokhra police said they had not filed any FIR.
"We have not lodged any complaint as doctors advised her in good faith. It is not a case of death through negligent act," D M Chauhan, Inspector, Khokhra police said.
