Nurses on strike, woman loses 36-week-old foetus at Govt Rajindra Hospital, Patiala

Patiala, December 17

A pregnant woman lost her 36-week-old foetus at the Government Rajindra Hospital here on Friday as a procedure could not be performed allegedly due to staff shortage. The authorities claimed that the woman had been apprised of the staff shortage and urged to take treatment at some other medical facility. Notably, staff nurses are on a strike here.

It is learnt that the patient was admitted to the Gynaecology Department. On December 15, the patient reportedly had some problem. Then the doctors had to plan for induction of labour to deliver, but the procedure couldn’t be performed because the staff nurses had gone on strike.

As the woman’s condition worsened, she lost the foetus. The relatives, thereafter, took her to some other hospital.

Jasvir Singh, a relative of the woman, said, “It unfortunate that the woman lost the foetus due to the lack of staff. Police action should be initiated against hospital staff.”

When asked about it, Dr Parmod, acting MS, said, “The work at the department had been hit by the strike. Moreover, the attendants were informed in time about shifting the patient.”

He said though the procedure was to be performed by a consultant, he/she needed support staff to carry it out.