Murshidabad, 14 December (H.S.): A shameful incident has come to light in Murshidabad district of West Bengal. A pregnant woman was forced to give birth in a toilet at a government health center after being denied admission. The incident occurred on Saturday at the Beniagram Primary Health Center in the Farakka block of Murshidabad.

Allegedly a written notice was posted at the health center clearly stating that no pregnant woman from outside the area will be admitted. Due to this rule, a pregnant woman named Anju was refused admission.

However, the Block Health Officer has denied these allegations. He has assured that an investigation into the incident of referral will be conducted and action will be taken if necessary. The BJP has started criticizing the administration over this incident.

Alam Sheikh said, I brought the pregnant woman to the Beniagram Primary Health Center in Farakka. But the health workers said that she would not be admitted here. They told us to take her to Ballalpur. This is because the expectant mother's home is in Khosalpur, Farakka. But she had come from her father's house in Jharkhand. The Beniagram Primary Health Center is nearby.

Alam Sheikh and his family repeatedly requested that she be admitted there. This led to a heated argument between the family and the health workers.

While this argument was going on, Anju was suffering from labor pains. The family had seated her on a bed in the health center. Shortly after, the pregnant woman went to the toilet and gave birth there. She delivered a baby boy in the toilet. It is alleged that at that time, apart from a woman from her family, there was no nurse, doctor, or attendant present.

Following the incident, a commotion ensued. The situation became serious. The Block Health Officer of Farakka, Dr. Masiur Rahman, arrived at the scene. The Additional Chief Health Officer of Murshidabad district, Tarif Hussain, also reached the spot. The police from Farakka police station also arrived at the scene. By then, the new mother and her newborn baby had been brought to a bed.

Dr. Masiur Rahman, the health officer of Farakka block, said, The delivery took place in the labor room itself. However, an investigation is underway to determine if anyone suggested referring the patient elsewhere. If this is found to be true, action will definitely be taken against them.

The BJP has become active in this matter. Raunak Saha, the president of the BJP Yuva Morcha in Farakka, live-streamed the incident on social media. He said, The people of Bengal should see where the state's healthcare system has reached. A pregnant woman is being treated like a football, being pushed around. The issue created an uproar after the Facebook live stream.

This incident raises serious questions about the state's healthcare system.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey