Wednesday, Apr 29, 2009
Gulf News
Dubai: The Dubai Health Department is investigating the case of a premature baby who was born in the back seat of a car after a private hospital refused to admit its mother, saying it did not have a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Doctors at the hospital, the NMC Specialty Hospital, said the file has been handed to the department. The 25-year-old Filipina delivered her baby Ameera in front of the NMC Specialty Hospital at 1am last Sunday, her husband Essam said.
He said his wife had gone to the NMC Hospital when she felt severe pain as it was following up on her pregnancy. Essam alleges his wife was asked to leave the hospital as she was in labour and the hospital was not equipped to deal with premature babies, born 30 weeks into the pregnancy.
The hospital never told my wife this, Essam said.
Gulf News last week reported how hospital staff carried her on a stretcher to her friend's car and left her there.
"Within a few minutes I saw my baby girl crying in the back seat of the car," the woman said.
The woman was taken into the emergency ward as she was bleeding heavily. Her husband was travelling that night, but returned the next day.
According to the NMC Hospital report the baby suffered three episodes of cardiorespiratory arrest. She also has breathing trouble. She was kept at NMC hospital for 24 hours and then transferred to Dubai Hospital and kept in an incubator.
"I was desperate and worried about the lives of my baby and wife. I got help from Dubai Hospital who saved my baby," Essam said. The Dubai Hospital report said Ameera is in critical condition and is still suffering from bleeding in the brain. The report noted she had stopped breathing three times.
"Doctors said she is suffering from heart problems. The way she was born affected her health badly," Essam said.
Dr Babita Shetty, a gynaecologist at NMC, earlier said according to Health Department rules, patients less than 35 weeks pregnant are not allowed to be admitted.
Do you think the hospital had the right to turn away the mother? Have you ever been rejected by a hospital? What was the reason for it? What happened?
Gulf News 2009. All rights reserved.
