DAVANAGERE: A 30-year-old woman gave birth to a girl on a busy street in a village in Chitradurga district after a duty doctor and a nurse in the village health centre refused to attend to her citing it was lunchtime.

Gangamalamma delivered the baby girl on the road with a group of women sheltering her with a hastily stitched screen with sarees in Chitrahalli village of Holalkere taluk, about 240km from Bengaluru.

The drama unfolded on Monday when Chowdappa rushed wife Gangamalamma to the health centre after she complained of severe stomach pain. “We reached the centre around 11am, but doctors kept us waiting till noon. Later, a duty doctor and a nurse asked us to go home, saying it was lunchtime,” Chowdappa alleged.

District health officer Dr Niraj Patil launched an inquiry into the lapses at the village health centre and promised action against the doctor, identified as Mohammed, who’s on contract. “ We’ll submit a report to the deputy commissioner on Wednesday,” the officer added.

