Hyderabad, June 01: An HIV- positive woman was forced to give birth to her baby by the roadside after a government- run hospital in Andhra Pradesh allegedly refused her admission.
The shocking incident took place on Sunday evening in Suryapet town of Nalgonda district, about 170 km from Hyderabad.
According to reports, some women in the town helped deliver the baby after the pregnant woman collapsed by the roadside.
Alivelu, the wife of a daily wage labourer from Kesaram village in Nalgonda, reached the Government Area Hospital in Suryapet.
After the blood examination, she was found HIV- positive and the staff on duty allegedly refused her admission saying the doctors were not available.
The 28- year- old was asked to come to the hospital the next day.
Some relatives accompanying her tried to get her admitted to a private hospital but could not arrange the money. In the meantime, she developed labour pains and some local women came forward to help her.
Shocked by the incident, state health minister D. Nagender announced an investigation.
“ We will take action against those who refused to admit the woman,” the minister told reporters.
Alivelu, who had returned to the village with the newborn on Sunday night, was brought to the town and admitted to the hospital by health officials.
R. V. Chandravadan, director of the Andhra Pradesh AIDS Control Society, said there was no reason for a government hospital to deny admission to an HIV- infected person.
“ Action will definitely be taken against those found guilty,” he said.
It was later reported that the hospital had suspended two doctors.
Had the delivery been medically supervised, the mother would have been administered a drug called nevirapine to ensure that her baby was not born infected with HIV.
—IANS