Woman, newborn baby die due to negligence of staff at private hospital in Balakot

MANSEHRA: A woman and her newborn baby lost their lives reportedly due to negligence of staff at a private hospital in Balakot, Mansehra.

While protesting against the hospital administration, the woman’s brother Ansar Mustafa and naib nazim of the area, Muhammad Akhtar, told the media the woman was taken to the private hospital for delivery. They added the absence of a female doctor at the hospital left the woman in the hands of midwives who kept experimenting on her for 10 hours and administered an injection to her at the wrong time.

According to the brother, the baby died at birth, while the woman’s condition remained critical. Subsequently, he said, the midwives called an untrained driver to take her to a government hospital in their ambulance at midnight, but she died on the way.   

The deceased woman was a mother of four children. Her relatives have demanded a case be filed against staff of the private hospital.

When contacted, the hospital administration refused to comment on the matter.

The earthquake that had wreaked damage in Balakot also destroyed the government hospital in the area.

Although, the government set up a facility in a building later on, it lacks equipment and doctors are often not available. This is the reason why locals choose to go to private hospitals that too are seldom prepared to take critical cases.