A woman in labour delivered her baby on the pavement outside Civil Hospital in Thatta on Sunday after staff allegedly refused to allow her into the maternity ward, once again drawing attention to the state of maternal care at the main public hospital serving Thatta and Sujawal.
Halima Machhi had come from Darro to deliver her baby, but according to her family, the gynecological unit’s on-call physician turned them away, saying there was no staff available and telling them to leave the ward.
Halima delivered the child at the hospital gate without help as her labour worsened. Her family reports that she and the baby are still in critical condition.
Relatives said Civil Hospital, despite its size and the population it caters to, is unable to provide even basic services to poor patients, a concern shared by rights groups.
Human Rights Protection and Social Justice Thatta said the hospital has effectively been reduced to a referral facility, and claimed that the influence of external organisations and a retired official, Malik Adam, has shaped how it operates.
According to activists, women who arrive for emergency deliveries are frequently verbally abused or told to leave, which results in multiple incidents where childbirth occurs outside of the facility.
They described the situation as a grave breach of patient rights and called for an independent assessment of maternity services at the hospital.
Reporters covering the incident on Sunday reported that they were confronted by individuals who grabbed their gold chain, cash, and cell phones by force.
In another development on the same day, a labourer’s family in Chohar Jamali celebrated the arrival of quadruplets at the government-run Health Centre Mureed Koso.
The newborns- two boys and two girls- were named Kareem Bux, Nabi Bux, Azeeman and Nasmeeyan. Relatives said both the mother and the four infants are in stable condition, and news of the rare birth quickly drew neighbours to their home.