By Our Correspondent, Siraha, Dec. 5: Manju Kumari Shah, of Govindpur Malhanwaki, was brought to Ramkumar Uma Prasad Murarka Hospital in Golindpur Malhanwaki on December 25, 2019 after she was in labour pain.

As she was hospitalised in time, Manju gave birth to a son through normal delivery.

Even though she gave birth to her son through normal delivery in a government hospital, the hospital looked like as a private hospital for Manju.

After the delivery, the health workers of the hospital examined the health of both the mother and the son. The blood group of the mother and son was found different during the test.

As a result, the doctors at the hospital decided to inject Anti-D injection to avoid further complications. 

Despite the fact that injection is provided free of cost at all government hospitals, Manju had to pay Rs.5,000 to buy it from a pharmacy outside the hospital. Her family had to spend over Rs. 25,000 in the government hospital during and after her delivery.

Not only Manju was made to pay for the injection, every woman who needed the injection after delivery have been paying for it.

Puman Kamat, a staff nurse at the hospital, said that if the blood group of mothers and newborn babies was found different, there was high chance that the mothers would not have another pregnancy.

Not only for Anti-D injection, but a lot of other free medicines are also lacking in government hospitals in the district.

Every woman coming to the hospital for receiving free check-ups and delivery services has to pay for medicines and injections, which are supposed to be provided free of cost, said locals.  

Even though the government has decided to provide transportation costs for women who deliver their babies in the health institutions, the State government of the State 2 has not taken any initiative to provide the facility to the mothers.