A government hospital in Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh is under intense scrutiny after a pregnant woman, who was turned away with the claim that her foetus had died, delivered a healthy baby boy at a private hospital just hours later.
The shocking incident has triggered a formal investigation, political mudslinging, and renewed concerns over healthcare failures in the state.
Manisha Kumari, who went into labour on June 5, traveled over 120 km with her husband, Vinod Sao, to Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College Hospital (SBMCH) in Hazaribagh.
There, the couple alleges, doctors declared the baby dead in the womb and cited low hemoglobin levels as a complicating factor.
Refused admission and desperate, the couple rushed to Saint Columba Mission Hospital — a private facility — where Manisha gave birth to a healthy baby boy the same day.
Fact-finding committee constituted
Amid public outrage, Hazaribagh Deputy Commissioner Shashi Prakash confirmed that a three-member fact-finding panel has been constituted to probe the circumstances under which the woman was denied care.
“An inquiry is underway, and we will wait for the findings before drawing any conclusions. Both sides will have a chance to present their account,” he said.
Political firestorm erupts
The case took a political turn after Vinod Sao credited support from Sanjeevani Seva Kutir, a local aid desk linked to BJP MLA Pradip Prasad, for helping them navigate the crisis.
The following day, BJP MP Manish Jaiswal visited SBMCH and accused the hospital of gross negligence, noting that no doctor was available on duty that night.
“We demand justice for this woman who was abandoned by a public hospital and forced to bear the financial burden of private treatment,” Jaiswal said. “The Health Minister must act against the woman doctor who was supposed to be on night duty.”
Doctor resigns, alleges political intimidation
Health Minister Irfan Ansari later revealed that the accused doctor had submitted her resignation to the Chief Minister and himself. In her statement, the doctor denied all allegations, calling them “politically motivated.”
She claimed she had been on call and reached the hospital promptly but faced aggression and intimidation allegedly orchestrated by BJP-affiliated individuals.
She further accused Sanjeevani Seva Kutir of functioning like a parallel political office within the hospital premises, a claim flatly denied by BJP MLA Pradip Prasad.
“If anyone proves that Seva Kutir operated as a BJP office, I will resign,” Prasad told the media. Repeated attempts to reach the Kutir for comment went unanswered.
What lies ahead
With the inquiry underway, the episode has spotlighted both systemic healthcare gaps and the volatile intersection of politics and public service delivery in Jharkhand. The family, meanwhile, is left shaken but grateful that their child survived what they call a near-death experience — not from illness, but institutional failure.