HIV positive pregnant woman left to suffer labour pain for 30 hours

Bhubaneswar: For nearly 30 hours, an HIV+ pregnant woman allegedly suffered labour pain lying on the floor at the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack while no hospital staff attended to her.

The woman’s husband said he had taken his wife to the hospital on Tuesday night with help from ASHA workers after she complained of labour pain. The couple, who are expecting their child following a miscarriage incident previously, alleged that doctors at the hospital refused to attend to the 22-year-old upon learning that she was tested positive with HIV. The husband alleged no staff even touched his wife during their initial stay.

“Even after suffering labour pain for 30 hours lying on the floor, none of the doctors or the nurses tended to her. After 24 hours, we were sent to the regional diagnosis centre for a blood test but had to return empty-handed as the officials refused to examine the blood. When we requested the doctor to treat my wife to relieve her of the pain, the latter misbehaved and drove us out,” the husband, a resident of Paradip, alleged.

Later, the couple approached Utkal Samaj, an organisation which works for the HIV-infected patients and sought assistance. The couple claims that it was upon the organisation’s intervention that the doctors at the SCB finally admitted her and provided a bed.

“After we contacted the SCB authorities in this regard, an initiative was taken for the treatment of the victim,” Amiya Ranjan Biswal, president, Utkal Samaj, said in Cuttack.

The hospital rejected the allegation of any medical negligence. “The patient has been allotted a bed in maternity ward and treatment was on to ensure a normal delivery,” said SCB emergency officer Dr Bhubanananda Moharana.