Lakhimpur Kheri: A private hospital in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri was sealed after a newborn died during delivery, prompting the distraught father to carry the baby’s body in a bag to the District Magistrate’s office in protest. The incident has once again raised serious questions about unethical practices and alleged profiteering by private hospitals in the state.
The grieving father, Vipin Gupta, said his wife was admitted to Goldar Hospital where doctors initially quoted Rs 10,000 for a normal delivery and Rs 12,000 for a caesarean. However, as her labour pains intensified, the charges were allegedly increased repeatedly, and doctors refused to proceed until payment was made in advance. “I managed to arrange some money by 2:30 am and even told them if they were not capable of handling the delivery, I would take my wife elsewhere. But they kept raising the charges and firmly said they would not operate until I paid the full amount,” Gupta said.
According to him, the delay proved fatal. “My baby died. After that, they threw my wife out on the road. I went to another surgeon for help. Later, I carried my child’s body in a bag to the DM office because I wanted authorities to see what these hospitals are doing to poor people,” he added. The DM of Lakhimpur Kheri, Mahendra Bahadur Singh, said strict action had been taken. “Goldar Hospital has been sealed. Admitted patients are being shifted to the District Women’s Hospital. On my instructions, ADM AK Rastogi also visited Srijan Hospital to check on the mother’s condition and ensure better treatment,” Singh said in a statement posted on X.