Mother gives birth on pavement outside Rajbiraj hospital over unaffordable blood test
A woman delivered her baby on the street outside Gajendra Narayan Singh Hospital in Rajbiraj after she and her husband could not pay for required blood tests.
Babita Kumari Paswan, 30, reached Gajendra Narayan Singh Hospital in Rajbiraj around 1 am accompanied by her husband Hareram Paswan and a neighbour. After an initial check, staff gave Hareram a slip indicating that blood tests could require up to Rs3,200, while the couple only had Rs2,000. Unable to pay, they waited outside the hospital until nearby shops opened, and at about 4:30 am Babita delivered a baby boy on the pavement with help from other women.
The couple alleges nurses ignored them because they lacked money and later threatened to force them out of the gynaecology ward. Acting medical superintendent Dr Jitendra Kandel explained that certain antenatal tests are not covered by the Safe Motherhood Programme and must be paid for, though a social service unit can assist poor patients. After the video spread on social media, the hospital returned the mother and infant by ambulance for free health checks, and the Ministry of Health and Food Safety and the Nepal Medical Council have sent teams to investigate. The case highlights gaps in awareness and access to the programme’s benefits for impoverished families.
