Mother allegedly punched during labour, newborn dies:Betul hospital staff accused of abuse, family says nurse made derogatory remark

A serious case of alleged negligence and misconduct has emerged from the maternity ward of Betul District Hospital. Following the death of a newborn on the night of 20 February, family members have levelled grave allegations against hospital staff, including negligence, ignoring the mother’s labour pain and physically assaulting her by punching her in the stomach. In the aftermath of the incident, the mother’s mental condition reportedly deteriorated, necessitating her admission to a private hospital. The hospital administration has constituted a three-doctor inquiry team to investigate the matter. Family alleges staff ignored pleas for help Yogesh Yadav, the newborn’s father, stated that as the mother’s pain intensified, the nurse on duty was called repeatedly but failed to respond. The family alleged that staff displayed extreme insensitivity towards the mother and made derogatory remarks, reportedly telling her, ‘You must have committed some sin, that is why you are not having a baby.’ According to another family member, Hansraj, at approximately 2:30 am, when the mother’s pain became unbearable, the nurse reacted rudely after being woken up. Shifted to private hospital after incident The family has made serious allegations that during labour, hospital staff punched the woman in the stomach, which they claim led to the death of the unborn child. They described the act as inhumane and directly responsible for the newborn’s death. Following the incident, the mother is said to be in deep shock, and her mental health condition worsened significantly. Concerned about her deteriorating state, the family decided to transfer her from the district hospital to a private medical facility for further treatment. Three-doctor panel formed, notices issued Civil Surgeon Jagdish Ghore of Betul District Hospital confirmed that the administration has taken the matter seriously. He stated that a special team of three doctors has been appointed to conduct a detailed investigation into the allegations made by the family. Show-cause notices have been issued to the nurse and the Class IV staff member who were on duty at the time of the incident. The Civil Surgeon has assured that strict action will be taken against those found responsible once the investigation report is submitted.