Pregnant woman forced to deliver on hospital floor in Haridwar, doctor terminated after viral video
Haridwar: A shocking incident has emerged from Haridwar, Uttarakhand, where a pregnant woman was forced to deliver her child on the floor of a women’s hospital after allegedly being denied admission and medical care.
According to the family, the woman, who belongs to a poor background, arrived at the hospital around 9:30 pm on Tuesday with severe labour pains. However, the on-duty doctor reportedly refused to admit her, claiming that deliveries were not conducted at the facility.
With no medical support, the woman endured hours of pain and eventually gave birth around 1:30 am in full public view. A video of the ordeal, showing the woman screaming on the ground while only an elderly relative tried to help, has since gone viral, sparking outrage on social media.
Relatives alleged that after the delivery, a nurse mocked the woman, saying, “Mazaa aaya? Aur baccha paida karegi?” They demanded strict action against the hospital staff, questioning who would have been responsible if the baby’s life had been endangered.
Haridwar Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. R.K. Singh confirmed that an inquiry has been initiated. He said, “A preliminary report has been taken, and we are awaiting a detailed version. The authenticity of the viral video is being verified. If negligence is confirmed, strict action will be taken.”
Authorities have already terminated the contractual doctor on night duty, identified as Dr. Sonali. Two nurses present at the time have also been served official notices for their alleged roles in the incident.
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No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
