Absence of Aadhaar card forces woman to give birth outside OPD at Civil Hospital

Gurugram: In another shocking case medical apathy, a pregnant woman was denied treatment in Gurugram's Civil Hospital as she did not posses her Aadhaar card, forcing her to give birth outside the outpatient department.

The woman, who fortunately survived along with her baby, was denied admission, despite her family telling the authorities that her Aadhaar card was at home.

After people were enraged by the incident, the mother and her child were eventually admitted to the hospital.

However, the hospital management has refuted claims that the woman was denied treatment simply for lack of an Aadhaar card.

Taking immediate action, the chief medical officer suspended the doctor and the nurse who had seen the patient.

"We were made to run from pillar to post and there was no sensitivity shown towards the extreme labour pain of my wife. Ultimately, when we reached the required doctors, we were told that there will be no treatment if there is no Aadhaar," said the woman's husband.

Presenting his version of the events, Dr PK Sharma, the principal medical officer, said, "We do not ask for Aadhaar when there is a situation of emergency. In this case, the patient was referred to the ultrasound department. Over there, owing to some medical complexities, she was asked to wait. During this time, she went outside the OPD and delivered the baby."

Commenting on the incident, chief medical officer Dr BK Rajoura said, "What has happened is unfortunate and should not have happened. We are inquiring over the incident. Meanwhile, we have suspended the doctor and the staff nurse."

This is not for the first time when the system of Unique Identification Authority of India has courted controversy in Gurugram.

Recently, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram reportedly refused to issue birth certificate to a new born, whose parents did not make the Aadhaar card for the child.