Woman gives birth to child in rickshaw

Patient had to wait for woman doctor for hours

RAHIM YAR KHAN: After the Khanpur hospital incident, another woman gave birth to her child in a rickshaw after she did not receive any medical help at Sahaja Hospital on Saturday.

The incident occurred at a rural health centre in Sahaja where a pregnant woman named Noreen Bibi’s came with her father Shah Nawaz. “I brought my daughter to the Sahaja hospital for delivery. However, the staff told me that the lady doctor would arrive later and asked us to wait.”

After waiting for hours, when the woman was not admitted to the labour room, she gave birth to the child in the rickshaw. Later, the labour room staff was forced to take the child into the hospital. The centre’s medical officer, Dr Ahmed Durrani, and the health department have denied any knowledge of the incident.



This is the second incident of a child’s birth outside the labour room. Around four days ago, Haseena Bibi had given birth to a child on the ground of Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Khanpur.

“As my wife was in labour, I had no other option but to lay her on the hospital ground in the scorching heat of 48 degrees,” Sattar said.

He maintained his wife lay on the ground from 3 pm till 6 pm in the evening and awaited medical help in excruciating pain. However, he said when no assistance was forthcoming, the woman was forced to deliver the baby on the ground.

Later, after hearing the woman’s screams, a doctor from the emergency ward rushed to the hospital ground and transferred both child and mother to the labour room. Sattar said that he brought his wife to the hospital at noon, but the staff did not admit nor examine the patient. He claimed that the responsibility for the incident lies with the hospital administration.

Locals and social workers have expressing reservations and asked Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Dr Hasan Askari to take notice of the incidents and order strict action against the official.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10^th, 2018.