When a 30-year-old Rajni was turned away from the Neemuch district hospital in Madhya Pradesh, she gave birth to her child in an auto-rickshaw. Following the incident, the mother and the child were admitted to the hospital and were doing fine; the district collector ordered an inquiry into the incident, as per reports.

Dinesh Silavat, Rajni’s husband, who makes his living by selling blankets and is from the Gangrar area of the Chittorgarh district in Rajasthan, stated that he has been residing in Malkheda village of Neemuch for a few days. Around 2:30 pm on Wednesday, Rajni began experiencing labour pains. He hurried her to the district hospital in this city in a rickshaw. However, he claimed that the hospital staff asked him to take his wife to Udaipur, Rajasthan, reported PTI. (Also Read: UK mother gives birth to twins 22 days apart in different hospitals, baffles doctors)

“Despite my repeated requests, they did not budge, and women staffers told us to leave the hospital. As we came out of the hospital around 4 pm, my wife gave birth in the auto-rickshaw. Some good-hearted people arranged sheets to provide privacy to my wife when she delivered the baby,” Silavat said.

According to Silavat, the woman and her newborn were allowed to stay in the hospital when the medical staff was informed about the delivery. The head of the maternity department, Dr Lad Dhakad, stated that cesarean births were not possible there since the anaesthetist was on leave.

As per PTI, the hospital did not have enough doctors even for regular duty. “My duty was till 2 o’clock. After that the woman was brought to the hospital. When the staff informed me, I went and saw her. Her blood pressure was shooting up. The family members were told that she was needed to be taken to a big hospital, but they stayed back. We do not admit such serious patients to avoid risk,” he said. Neemuch collector Dinesh Jain said he had ordered an inquiry, and action will be taken if anyone was found guilty.