Kathmandu, September 11
Minister for Health and Food Hygiene Nisha Mehta has said the government has taken seriously the incident in which a 30-year-old woman gave birth outside Gajendra Narayan Hospital in Rajbiraj, Saptari.
Responding to questions raised by lawmakers during a meeting of the House of Representatives, Minister Mehta said ensuring the safety of mothers and newborns, safe childbirth and quality healthcare remains a primary responsibility of the state.
“Since protecting the lives of mothers and newborns, ensuring safe childbirth and providing quality health services are the state’s primary responsibilities, the ministry has taken the Rajbiraj incident seriously,” she said.
Mehta said the government had taken serious note of the issues raised in Parliament. She said the ministry sought a 24-hour clarification from the hospital immediately after receiving information about the incident.
“The hospital has already submitted its clarification,” she said.
According to Mehta, a five-member team led by Nepal Medical Council Registrar Dr Suprabha Shrestha, along with Dr Ajay Shah from the council’s Ethics Committee, reached Rajbiraj on Thursday to conduct an on-site investigation into the incident.
Dr Pawan Jung Rayamajhi, chief of the Curative Services Division at the Department of Health Services, is also part of the team representing the ministry.
Minister Mehta also informed Parliament that the District Administration Office, Saptari, has formed a separate committee to investigate the incident.
She said the hospital had removed the staff members who were on duty when the incident occurred from their duties and that an investigation had already begun.
