Covid-19 stigma: Umbilical cord of baby was cut after 2 hours

Anantnag, June 4: Relatives of pregnant woman who delivered a baby in the corridors of hospital with the help of Covid-19 infected patients Thursday refuted the claims that they were available for the patient during the time of delivery.

A Covid-19 infected pregnant lady from Hugam Anantnag here in South Kashmir admitted in the Trauma Hospital Bijbehara developed labour pain in the Covid-19 designated hospital while none of her relatives were present that time. Witnesses and relatives told news agency KNT that at the time of incident, no doctor attended her as they were not present in the hospital while Para-medic staff ignored her due to the infection which she is suffering from.

“She was helped by Covid-19 positive patients who arranged the required stuff for the delivery in the middle of the hospital corridor. After the delivery, these positive patients who acted as helpers failed to cut the umbilical cord of the child and was cut three hours after the birth of the child,” they said.

After birth, a clamp is put on the cord, and it is cut so that the baby is no longer attached to the placenta. The cord is clamped immediately after birth, usually between 10 to 15 seconds after the birth of the child, but witnesses said that umbilical cord was not cut in time due to non-availability of the doctors.

Though doctors claim they attended this pregnant lady, but relatives and witnesses refute this claim.

Rakib Ahmed, the husband of the lady said he is himself in quarantine but what he heard is painful. “Strict action should be taken against the hospital staff,” he told KNT.

Nodal Officer for Coronavirus Dr Farhat said that inquiry has already been initiated while Deputy Commissioner Anantnag has directed them to take strict action against erring doctors.

The lady has been admitted in JVC SKIMS Bemina hospital which is a Covid-19 designated hospital. (KNT)