Guwahati: A government-run hospital doctor was on monday arrested and a nurse suspended in Mirza, at Kamrup(rural) district, over allegations of neglect of a pregnant woman, who gave birth to a stillborn baby on the road outside the hospital yesterday.
The doctor, Ghulam Mustafa Ahmed, was arrested after a complaint was registered against him. On-duty nurse, Ajanta Bora, has been placed under suspension with immediate effect.
State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma, visiting the Mirza 30-bed rural hospital on Monday, said the action had been initiated based on initial investigations and other staff in the hospital could also face disciplinary action.
We may have to take disciplinary action against other doctors, nurses and staff of the hospital if they are also found guilty of negligence of duty in any form,” Dr Sharma said.
As per allegations, the accused doctor and nurse had refused to admit a pregnant woman in the wee hours yesterday when her husband failed to pay a bribe of Rs 500.
The couple is brick kiln workers and the woman was eight-month pregnant.
She later gave birth to a stillborn child beside National Highway 37, across the hospital, and the hospital authorities finally offered aid to the mother and child only after locals gathered and raised protest.
The doctor has maintained that the woman was referred to the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital after examination, but the woman’s husband claimed that his wife was not examined by anyone in the hospital.
The Minister, refusing to accept the doctor’s version, said the hospital should have offered whatever assistance was within its mean till the woman could be transported to GMCH and delivery should not have been allowed to take place on the road. (UNI)