Govt doc oversees delivery via video call, baby born still

CHENNAI: A duty doctor at a government hospital tried to supervise the delivery of a 33-year-old woman using video call that led to disastrous consequences, with the birth of a stillborn. A duty doctor attached to Sunambedu GH gave instructions via video call to the nurses on Monday. Following the incident, villagers staged a protest seeking action against the doctor and nurses.

Police said Pushpa (33) of Sunambedu was pregnant and was undergoing regular check-ups at the Sunambedu government hospital. She was to deliver of the baby on Monday and accordingly Pushpa arrived at the hospital with her husband Murali. The doctors, however, asked them to go home and come back if she developed labour pain. Later in the afternoon, the pains started and Pushpa was rushed to the hospital, but no doctors were present.

Police sources said that her last scan report had details about there being complications at the time of delivery. The nurses who had not noticed this vital fact decided to go for normal delivery in the hospital on their own. Around 6 pm they noticed that the baby was upside down and its legs came out first complicating the procedure. They panicked and soon contacted the duty doctor via video call. The doctor then guided the nurses on how to pull the baby’s head out. However, after trying multiple times, the nurses failed and sent Pushpa to the Maduranthagam GH in the ambulance but before they could reach the other hospital, the baby’s head was out, but it was dead.

As soon as the news spread among the villagers of Sunambedu, they gathered in front of the hospital and protested seeking action against the doctor and nurses. The Police and Health Department officials who visited the spot held peace talks with the protesters and promised departmental action would be taken against the doctor and nurses after an inquiry was held.