Dalit woman dies after being denied medical attention

LUCKNOW - Caste discrimination allegedly claimed the life of a young Dalit woman, who died after delivering a stillborn child Thursday, as the staff of a government-run medical centre in Uttar Pradesh refused to attend to her.

The state government has ordered an inquiry into the incident that took place at the Bhadiyan community health centre in Uttar Pradesh’s Sultanpur district, some 250 km from Lucknow, where 26-year-old Sona Devi died for want of medical treatment, an official said.

“My wife, who was eight months pregnant, complained of severe pain Thursday after which we rushed her to the community health centre. However, the medical staff there made caste-based remarks against me and directed me to take my wife to some other place,” her husband Phool Chand told reporters in Sultanpur.

“As my wife was writhing in acute pain, I pleaded with them (community health centre) many times to admit my wife. I even folded my hands before them, but to no avail. After lying unattended for hours, my wife delivered a stillborn and died after sometime,” Phool Chand, a resident of Bela Mohan village in the district, said.

Following Sona Devi’s death, the medical staff went in a tizzy and called for an ambulance on the pretext of shifting her to the district hospital, he said.

“They called the ambulance just to pacify me so that I do not register a complaint against them. I even asked the medical staff as to what was the use of shifting the patient after her death. They did not reply and my wife was taken to the district hospital, where she was declared brought dead,” alleged Chand.

Sultanpur’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO) G.P. Kushwaha, told IANS that a high-level inquiry has been initiated in the matter, and officials at the centre asked to given an explanation.

“We will take strict action against the medical staff of the health centre on completion of the inquiry,” he added.