By Our Correspondent

Baitadi, Sept. 21: A pregnant woman in Baitadi, who couldn’t deliver her baby naturally, has been deprived of treatment after a doctor of Baitadi District Hospital refused to touch her due to the stigma related to child birth.
The doctor denied injecting medicine to the woman citing that he was to perform Shradda (a ritual performed in honour of the dead parents) at home.
In Nepali society, men are not allowed to touch the pregnant woman during the delivery time, as the process of child birth is considered impure.
Following the complications in her pregnancy Kalawati Joshi, a local of Dasrath Chand Municipality, was recommended for caesarean section.
The hospital and Joshi’s family had made all preparation for the operation but in the meantime, anaesthesiologist Dr. Khem Raj Bhatta refused to touch Joshi claiming that he couldn’t touch her because he was fasting for the next day’s Shradda.
“Dr. Bhatta said he had to perform Shradda of his father and he could not inject her,” said Dr Devendra Lekhak of District Hospital, Baitadi.
Following the debate, the District Hospital Baitadi referred Kalawati to another hospital outside the district, said her relative Narayan Joshi.
According to Narayan Joshi, relative of Kalawati, as the ambulance of the district hospital was not functional; they were forced to hire a private jeep paying a high price.
Joshi said Kalawati was admitted in the hospital on Wednesday. As she couldn’t deliver the baby naturally, the doctors had recommended for caesarean delivery.
“Everything was prepared, but in the meantime, Dr. Bhatta refused to touch her. The doctors later referred her to the Dadeldhura Hospital,” said Narayan. However, Dr. Bhatt refused this accusation. He said he had no such intention. “I wanted to leave the hospital early because I have to prepare for my father’s Shraddha.”
He said he could give her anaesthesia but what if she would get complications, he asked. “I will not have time if I have to come back to the hospital if any complications will occur.”