Rajasthan: Pregnant Woman Denied Admission In Hospital Due To Religion, Baby Dies

Amid the COVID-19 lockdown and chaos, a bizarre incident has come to the fore where a pregnant woman was denied admission to a hospital over her religion by the staff in Rajasthan's Bharatpur district and was referred to another hospital in Jaipur.

The pregnant woman delivered the infant inside the ambulance, while she was on the way to Jaipur, but the child could not survive.

The incident took place in Bharatpur's Janana Hospital. The woman's husband informed that the hospital staff instead of providing treatment referred them to a hospital in Jaipur. The desperate couple immediately left to seek medical attention, however, they could not even cross the district when the woman delivered the baby.

"My pregnant wife had to deliver a child. She was referred from Sikri to the Janana Hospital in the district headquarter but the doctors here mentioned that we should go to Jaipur because we are Muslim. As I was taking her in the ambulance, she delivered the child but the baby died. I hold the administration responsible for my child's death," said Irfan Khan, the husband of the woman who was refused admission.

Dr Rupendra Jha, Principal, Janana Hospital said that he would be able to comment on the hospital's laxity only after the matter is investigated.

Rajasthan tourism minister, Vishvendra Singh, took to Twitter to criticize the incident and also stated that appropriate actions would be taken against the concerned hospital staff.

"Pregnant Muslim Woman was refused medical attention at the Zenana Hospital in #Bharatpur & was told to go to Jaipur given her religion. Local Bharatpur MLA is State Health Minister & this is the condition of the hospital in Bharatpur City. Shameful," he tweeted.

The minister said that there can be nothing more shameful than the unfortunate incident that has occurred in Rajasthan.

"This is a secular state and the government is extremely sensitive about such matters," he added.

Vishvendra Singh also said that the matter will be monitored and action will be taken against the accused doctor.

In the meantime, AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi also condemned the incident. He said, "The staff must be tried as common criminals & should receive exemplary punishment @ashokgehlot51. They are responsible for putting at risk an innocents' life. Should we now stop seeking healthcare? Anti-Muslim hate reaches new heights every day & is costing us our lives."

He further said,"Has Hindutva radicalisation become so brazen because it is backed by govt support or because it is embraced by a large section of society? Will anything be done to counter it?"

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