In Nepal, woman gives birth near hospital over paid tests — Kathmandu Post
In the city of Rajbiraj, Nepal, 30-year-old Babita Kumari Paswan gave birth to a boy on a sidewalk near the Gajendra Narayan Singh government hospital after her husband was unable to pay for the prescribed tests. The Kathmandu Post reports.
Paswan arrived at the hospital with her husband, Hareram, and a neighbor at about 1 a.m., when she went into labor. Before treatment began, hospital staff requested 3,200 Nepalese rupees for examinations, including blood tests. Her husband had 2,000 rupees, leaving him short by 1,200 rupees.
According to Hareram Paswan, he tried to borrow money but was unable to do so. They waited for more than three hours on the sidewalk near the hospital, hoping to obtain a loan from a trader. At around 4:30 a.m., when the contractions became stronger, the woman gave birth near a roadside drainage ditch.
Investigation into the incident
According to a preliminary report by the committee investigating the incident, medical staff did not properly assess the woman in labor. The report states that when the woman was allowed to leave the hospital to look for money, her cervical dilation may have been 6–7 centimeters.
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Representatives of the Nepal Medical Council were involved in the inspection. They interviewed hospital staff and the patient’s relatives and reviewed surveillance camera footage. The hospital temporarily suspended six employees, including doctor Usha Dev, pending the completion of the investigation.
Health Minister Nisha Mehta told parliament that after an examination, the woman was placed in bed No. 24 and advised to undergo tests urgently. According to her, after the child was born, the mother and infant returned to the maternity ward but later left the hospital. The minister said the condition of the mother and child was normal.
Free childbirth and paid tests
In Nepal, childbirth in public medical facilities is free, and the government reimburses hospitals for the costs of such services. At the same time, laboratory tests before childbirth are not included in the free care package, so patients must pay for them themselves.
Health officials noted that the safe motherhood program and the law on basic medical services do not specify who should cover the costs of tests required before childbirth. Some hospitals use social protection funds to assist patients who cannot pay, while others charge fees. Maternal health experts stressed that a lack of money cannot be grounds for denying emergency medical care.
