A 26-week-old baby died Sunday evening after being born in the washroom of a Delhi government-run hospital, allegedly due to a lack of basic medical resources and delay in care.
The mother, a 21-year-old woman identified as Pooja, was reportedly a destitute patient admitted under a court order, raising serious questions about the hospital’s handling of vulnerable individuals.
The incident occurred at the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), where Pooja was admitted on September 4 from GTB Hospital. She was 26 weeks pregnant at the time.
According to information confirmed by Dr Preeti, who was in charge of the patient, Pooja began experiencing labour pains around 5 pm on Sunday.
Staff at the hospital allegedly stated that they lacked facilities for childbirth, as it is a psychiatric institution.
Around 5:10pm, Pooja delivered the baby in a washroom. Both the mother and child were still connected by the umbilical cord and placenta.
A crucial delay followed as the hospital staff struggled to find a clamp to cut the cord, a basic medical instrument. After a significant delay, a clamp was found, and the cord was cut.
The baby, alive at birth, and Pooja were then rushed by ambulance to the nearby Swami Dayanand Hospital. However, the infant, with underdeveloped lungs due to being born prematurely, died at 9:12 pm.
The incident has highlighted what appears to be a systemic failure at Institute of Human Behavior and Allied Science (IHBAS) which is fully funded by Delhi Government. While Pooja was on medication, including lorazepam, the primary cause for the baby’s death seems to be the premature delivery, as per sources in hospital administration.
They said that the lungs of the child was not formed well, and there had been a blockage in the delivery canal. But on-ground investigation it clearly shows the lack of a basic delivery setup and the delay in care.
Hospital staff confirmed they did not have the necessary facilities for childbirth, even though they had admitted a pregnant patient. They also claimed this was the first such incident. The patient was admitted on a court order, yet the hospital staff stated they had no contact information for her family, a highly unusual circumstance for a medico-legal case.