Hospital Staff Removed, Investigation Launched After Woman Gives Birth on Sidewalk

Rajbiraj: Following an incident in which a woman gave birth on the sidewalk outside the main gate of Gajendra Narayan Singh Hospital in Rajbiraj, Saptari, the government has removed the hospital staff on duty from their responsibilities and initiated an investigation.

After lawmakers raised questions about the incident during Friday’s House of Representatives meeting, Minister for Health and Food Safety Nisha Mehta said the government is treating the matter seriously. According to her, the hospital staff on duty at the time have been immediately removed from their duties, and an investigation into their conduct is underway.

A five-member team, including Nepal Medical Council Registrar Dr. Suprabhat Shrestha and Dr. Ajay Shah of the Ethics Committee, has arrived in Rajbiraj to conduct an on-site investigation. Dr. Pawan Jung Rayamajhi, Chief of the Curative Service Division at the Department of Health Services, is also part of the team representing the Ministry of Health.

Minister Mehta further informed Parliament that the District Administration Office, Saptari, has also formed a separate investigation committee to ascertain the facts of the incident.

Immediately following the incident, the Ministry had sought a 24-hour explanation from the hospital. According to the preliminary details submitted by the hospital to the Ministry, 30-year-old Babita Kumari Paswan arrived at the hospital around 2:00 AM on Bhadra 24 after going into labor.

The hospital’s report states that following an initial examination, she was admitted to bed number 24 in the maternity ward. The hospital claims that, since she lacked previous medical reports, health workers advised her to undergo certain essential tests. However, Minister Mehta informed Parliament that the patient and her attendant subsequently left the hospital without remaining in their assigned bed, and the delivery took place on the sidewalk outside the main hospital gate at approximately 4:45 AM.

Following the delivery, the mother and newborn, still attached by the umbilical cord, were brought back to the maternity ward. The hospital claims that although on-duty health workers cut the cord and urged them to stay for necessary medical care and treatment, they left the facility.

Nevertheless, the incident, in which the woman gave birth outside the hospital premises, has raised serious questions regarding patient management, the accountability of health workers, and the provision of emergency maternity services at the hospital.

Minister Mehta stated that safeguarding the lives of mothers and newborns and ensuring quality healthcare services is a primary responsibility of the state. She added that if the investigation identifies any individuals at fault, action will be taken against them in accordance with the law.

The Minister further noted that the Ministry has issued a stern warning to the hospital to prevent such incidents from recurring, and the hospital administration has pledged not to repeat these lapses.