Saptari : Three separate committees have been formed at the federal, province and district levels to investigate an incident in which a woman hospitalized at the Gajendra Narayan Nidhi Hospital here gave birth to a child on the pavement outside the hospital.
Such committees have already begun works.
According to the hospital administration, health professionals, security guards, cleaning team and acting medical superintendent Dr Jeetendra Kandel were interrogated on the issue.
Hospital’s medical superintendent Dr Ranjit Jha said that the team was assessing the nature of the incident, woman’s condition, behaviour of health workers, and other related matters. He said was however in Kathmandu on official business on the day the incident happened.
According to him, in the preliminary phase, four health workers, one security guard and one cleaner on duty at the obstetrics ward were suspended over the incident. The conclusion of the investigation is awaited to take further decision on the suspension.
Earlier, the Ministry of Health and Food Safety had formed an investigation panel led by Nepal Medical Council Registrar Suprabhat Shrestha, while another committee was formed under the leadership of Madhes Province Assembly member Kiran Kumari Sah. The third one, formed by the District Administration Office, is led by Dr Satish Kumar Yadav, chief of the District Health Office.
These panels have been tasked with finding the facts surrounding the incidents and submitting their reports to the concerned authorities within seven days of formation collection.
It is noted that Babita Paswan, 30, from Parsahi Tole of Rajbiraj Municipality-14, had visited the local Gajendra Narayan Singh Hospital three days ago while in labor with her fourth child. However, she reportedly left the facility as she failed to afford the treatment.
Babita, who had previously given births to three children in health facilities, delivered the fourth one on the roadside after reported failure to manage Rs 3,200 for medical tests she was prescribed upon her hospitalization.
The attention of authorities concerned from the federal to district level were drawn, prompting the formation of probe committees after a CCTV footage of the incident went viral on social media and was widely reported by media.
