A government hospital refused to admit her due to unavailability of doctor.

A tribal woman, who was denied treatment in a government hospital at Vadakkethara near Pazhayannur on Tuesday night, gave birth in an autorickshaw.

Sukanya, wife of Rajesh of the Kumbalakode Mattinmukal Malayan colony, reached the hospital at 11 p.m.

The hospital authorities asked the couple to go to some other hospital as no doctor was available.

As the couple did not have money to go to another hospital, they decided to return home. But Sukanya gave birth to a girl in the autorickshaw on the way home.

No medical aid

The attitude of the hospital authorities has come in for criticism. It is being alleged that the hospital authorities did not provide any medical aid or ambulance to take the woman to another hospital.

Panchayat authorities and the police arrived at the spot and took the mother and child to the Government Medical College Hospital, Thrissur.