A woman gave birth to a baby in her home's bathroom after she was refused entry at a hospital in Punjab's Raiwind area on Tuesday, DawnNewsTV reported.

The woman, wife of a labourer, was taken to the Rural Health Centre Raiwind on Monday evening after she started experiencing labour pains, her relatives said.

But the staff at the health centre refused to admit her, reportedly because of a lack of facilities, and told the woman to return to the hospital in the morning, saying she would not give birth until then.

The family requested the staff to allow them to spend the night at the hospital as they could not afford the transportation cost of coming back. But the staff refused and forced them to leave the hospital.

The woman was then taken home where she ended up giving birth in a bathroom.

The baby boy born fell ill soon after birth and the family had to bring him to the hospital again. He was admitted and is recovering at the health centre.

The woman's relatives protested at the health centre, saying Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif should seal all government hospitals if they cannot provide health facilities to the poor.

The secretary of Punjab's Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department formed a three-member committee headed by the CEO of Lahore's District Health Authority to probe the incident. According to a notification, the committee was directed to submit its fact-finding report to the secretary by 4pm on Tuesday.

The incident comes months after another woman in Raiwind gave birth outside the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital (THQ), Raiwind after staff at the hospital refused to treat her.

Initial investigation conducted by the hospital had suggested that a lady health worker refused the woman — who was experiencing severe labour pains — any medical help because "there were no doctors available at the hospital in the early hours of the morning".

Opinion

Who bears the cost?

Who bears the cost?

This small window of low inflation should compel a rethink of how the authorities and employers understand the average household’s

Editorial

Internet restrictions
Updated 23 Dec, 2024

Internet restrictions

Notion that Pakistan enjoys unprecedented freedom of expression difficult to reconcile with the reality of restrictions.
Bangladesh reset
23 Dec, 2024

Bangladesh reset

THE vibes were positive during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent meeting with Bangladesh interim leader Dr...
Leaving home
23 Dec, 2024

Leaving home

FROM asylum seekers to economic migrants, the continuing exodus from Pakistan shows mass disillusionment with the...
Military convictions
Updated 22 Dec, 2024

Military convictions

Pakistan’s democracy, still finding its feet, cannot afford such compromises on core democratic values.
Need for talks
22 Dec, 2024

Need for talks

FOR a long time now, the country has been in the grip of relentless political uncertainty, featuring the...
Vulnerable vaccinators
22 Dec, 2024

Vulnerable vaccinators

THE campaign to eradicate polio from Pakistan cannot succeed unless the safety of vaccinators and security personnel...