A woman was delivered of a boy in the early hours of Tuesday, died on the way to Government Hospital in Arni. Tension prevailed on the hospital campus since the relatives staged a protest in front of the GH.

V. Jamuna, 29, a resident of Irungur village near Mambakkam in Arcot taluk, was admitted with labour pain to the Primary Health Centre in Mambakkam on Monday, and relatives alleged that there were no doctors to treat her.

No doctors

Having developed severe labour pain, she could not be moved to another hospital either, sources with the Health Department said.

She was attended by staff nurses and she was delivered of a boy around 4 a.m. on Tuesday.

Post delivery, she bled profusely and her relatives wanted her be referred to the Arni GH. After waiting for the doctor, the staff at the hospital allowed Jamuna to be taken to the Arni GH by an Ambulance.

But on reaching the hospital, doctors declared her ‘dead on arrival’.

Infuriated over the apathy of the medical staff at PHC and non-availability of medical professional, relatives staged a protest in front of the hospital.

The victim’s husband Vizhivendan said that non-availability of a doctor at the PHC and delay in shifting her to the maternity care unit at the Government Hospital in Arni resulted in the death of his young wife.

Tiruvannamalai district health official said that the woman was ‘brought dead’. Based on the family’s decision, the body would either be handed over to them or a post-mortem would be ordered, he said.

While the Deputy Director-Health could not be reached for his comments on ‘non availability of a doctor’ at the Primary Health Centre in Mambakkam.