Woman gives birth under tree as doctor refuses treatment

JAGATSINGHPUR: A woman gave birth to a child under a tree near a government hospital in Orissa after a doctor refused to attend to her as her husband failed to pay a fee of Rs.2,000.

The shocking incident took place Tuesday in the coastal Jagatsinghpur district, around 100 km from Bhubaneswar, but came to light after the women's husband lodged a police complaint against the doctor Wednesday.

Ranju Sethi, 23, a poor dalit woman from Jhimani village, came to the government-run Community Health Centre at Kujang town with her husband after she started experiencing labour pains.

Abhaya Kumar Dash, a doctor at the centre, demanded Rs.2,000 to admit Ranju to the hospital, her husband Gandhrab Sethi told the police.

"When I expressed my inability to pay the amount the doctor abused us and refused to admit my wife in the hospital.

"Finally my wife could not bear the labour pain and delivered a baby under a tree outside the hospital," he said.

At least 200 locals surrounded the hospital Tuesday evening and demanded immediate action against the doctor, who fled the hospital.

"We are investigating the case and a report will be submitted to the chief district medical officer within two days," said Binod Kumar Mishra, head of the hospital.