Sujata was in immense pain. Fully pregnant, she had trouble getting down from the ambulance in front of the Government Hospital in Karnataka's Bidar district. Two other women who accompanied Sujata, help her get down from the ambulance. The three women paused for a few minutes, in anticipation of a stretcher that will carry Sujata to the operation theatre. But none arrived.
The women then proceeded to walk to the labour room, as Sujata moaned in pain.
On Wednesday, this glaring incident of apathy and medical negligence was reported from a government hospital in the state, only weeks after an elderly woman had to drag her ill husband to the x-ray room in a hospital in Shivamogga, after the hospital refused to give them a stretcher.
This time, the incident happened in a government hospital in Bidar. When Sujata was taken to the hospital for labour, the staff reportedly told her that she had to undergo a cesarean. However, the operation theatre at the hospital was shut for two days and the staff asked Sujata to seek treatment at a private hospital.
Sujata's husband Sudhakar told The Times of India that it took him much persuasion before the hospital staff agreed to attend to his wife.
“I was asked to take my wife to any other hospital if there was a need for a Caesarean delivery. After consistently requesting them to help, they agreed to take the case on the condition that she undergoes a normal delivery. Left with no option, I allowed them to treat my wife," said Sudhakar.
While Sujata underwent a normal delivery and gave birth to a baby boy, she alleged that the government hospital was not attending to any delivery cases and was forcing the patients to seek treatment at private hospitals.
Speaking to News 9, hospital superintendent Channappa said that there was no dearth in the number of wheelchairs or stretchers at the hospital.
"We have stretchers and wheelchairs... this is manipulated. Only thing is that our operation theatre is closed and we have suspended elective cases. But we attend to emergency cases, they will be operated at another hospital nearby, I have made all arrangements for that," he said.