A woman was forced to give birth at the gates of a prominent government hospital in Delhi on Monday after the doctors refused to tend to her.

The incident took place on the same day that the Delhi government announced a new scheme for the medical well-being of pregnant women with much fanfare.

Suman, 24, delivered a baby boy right outside the emergency ward of the Babasaheb Ambedkar hospital in Rohini early on Monday after the hospital refused to admit her. It was only after the people present in the compound at the time protested that the doctors came out to cut the umbilical cord after she had delivered the baby.

Suman, a resident of Shahbad Dairy, was brought by her husband Santosh to the hospital early on Monday after she went into labour.

"The hospital staff conducted a preliminary check and told us that the baby could be delivered any minute and asked us to take her to the nearby Sanjay Gandhi hospital immediately. They told us that there were no beds available and that if anything happened to her, we would be held responsible.

"We requested the hospital authorities for an ambulance but they refused and asked us to leave. Finally, my brother went outside to get a three-wheeler while I helped my wife out. But she collapsed and the baby was delivered right outside the emergency ward at 7 am," Santosh said.

Santosh's brother Ashok said: "The hospital told us that it was an emergency but refused to give us an ambulance. The staff at the emergency ward was only concerned with getting us out of the hospital premises as soon as possible. None of the doctors or the staff came to help Suman when she was crying in pain." Ironically, the emergency ward of the hospital has a large billboard claiming it to be operational "24 hours". The woman's relatives alleged that even after the baby was delivered, none from the hospital came to help her.

"It was only after we protested and the media persons came to the spot that the doctors came and cut the umbilical cord. There was another woman who had died because of the negligence on the part of the doctors in the hospital. Her family members, too, protested and the police reached the spot. It was then that my wife was given a bed and promised admission in the hospital," Santosh said.

The medical superintendent of the hospital, C.M. Khanijo, said he has ordered an inquiry into the incident and strict action would be taken against those found guilty. "I will take action if the inquiry reveals the staff to be responsible for the incident," he said.

"There is a shortage of beds in the hospital. But I am looking into the problem," Khanijo added. THE DELHI High Court on Monday issued a contempt notice to Congress leader N.D. Tiwari for failing to comply with its orders in the sensational paternity suit. The court also directed Tiwari to sign an affidavit, saying his refusal to give a blood sample for the DNA test is his own decision. Justice Gita Mittal criticised Tiwari's contention that his service to the nation as a freedom fighter and in public office should make him immune to legal orders. "The fact that you were a freedom fighter does not give you a licence to flout court orders," she said. Last December, Tiwari was directed to pay `75,000 to Rohit Shekhar, who claims to be his son, when his plea to make changes to the paternity suit was dismissed. Mail Today On Monday, speaking at a function organised to mark the World Population Day, state health minister Dr A.K. Walia announced the implementation of the Janani Shishu Surkasha Yojna from August to minimise maternal and child death rate.

"All pregnant women from poor households will get free drugs and treatment, besides free transport from their homes to a health facility and back. Sick newborns will get free treatment up to 30 days, among other services," Walia said. In another incident, a 22-year-old woman died after being allegedly neglected by the doctors at the same hospital after she delivered a baby on Sunday evening. The woman was admitted to the Babasaheb Ambedkar hospital on Sunday afternoon by her husband Kundan, who works in the pantry of a private hospital.

The hospital authorities claimed that the woman, who was not identified, had died after her blood pressure decreased and there was a rise in her sugar level. But Kundan alleged that the doctors told him everything was normal even after they saw his wife bleeding from the mouth. "They refused to let me see my wife after the baby's birth and did not tend to her either. It was only in the evening that they asked me to get lab reports, 10 pairs of gloves and medicines for her treatment. Later, around midnight they told me she was serious. No one attended to her when she needed medical care," Kundan said.

He alleged that the family was not even allowed to see the face of the newborn until they paid a bribe of Rs 1,200 to the security guards. "The guards refused to let me see the baby till I handed him Rs 1,200. They were adamant and refused to let me see my own child," Kundan said.