A disturbing incident in Thatta has once again highlighted the severe issues in public healthcare after a woman delivers baby outside Civil Hospital due to alleged negligence by the staff. The woman, identified as Halima Machhi, delivers baby on the pavement after being denied entry into the maternity ward.
Halima had travelled from Darro for treatment and was in active labour when she reached Civil Hospital Thatta on Sunday. According to her family, the on-call doctor in the gynecology ward refused to admit her, claiming no staff was available to assist. The family said the physician ordered them to leave the ward instead of providing emergency care.
As her labour intensified, Halima delivers baby at the hospital gate without any medical support. Relatives said both the mother and the newborn remain in critical condition.
Family members and local rights groups say this shocking incident reflects a long-standing crisis at Civil Hospital Thatta. Despite being the main facility for Thatta and Sujawal districts, the hospital allegedly fails to provide even basic care to poor patients.
Human Rights Protection and Social Justice Thatta strongly criticised the hospital’s operations. The organisation claimed that external groups and a retired official, Malik Adam, influence the facility’s functioning, turning it into little more than a referral centre.
Activists also alleged that many women arriving for emergency deliveries are mistreated, verbally abused, or told to leave. Several cases have surfaced where women were forced to give birth outside the hospital due to staff negligence. They described this as a serious violation of patient rights and demanded an independent inquiry into maternity services.
Journalists covering Sunday’s incident reported being manhandled by individuals who snatched their cash, mobile phones, and a gold chain by force.
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In a contrasting development the same day, a labourer’s family in Chohar Jamali celebrated a rare birth. A woman at the government-run Health Centre Mureed Koso safely delivered quadruplets — two boys and two girls. The infants were named Kareem Bux, Nabi Bux, Azeeman, and Nasmeeyan. Relatives confirmed that both the mother and the four babies are in stable condition.
