'She is Muslim, take her elsewhere': UP doctor 'refuses' to treat pregnant women

Lucknow: In a shocking incident, a lady doctor at a hospital in Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur district ‘refused’ to treat a pregnant Muslim woman allegedly because of her religion.

‘’She is a Muslim……I won’t treat her...Take her elsewhere,’’ the doctor allegedly told the attendants of the woman.

The woman, identified as Shama Parveen, was brought to the district women’s hospital on the night of September 30. Shama’s husband Mohammed Nawaz said that he requested the lady doctor on duty to check her but the latter allegedly refused.

‘’Don’t’ bring her to the OT (operation theatre)….she is Muslim….I won’t treat her,’’ the doctor said, Nawaz claimed.

A video purportedly showing Shama saying that the lady doctor refused to treat her and another woman, who too was a Muslim while she treated the other patients went viral on social media platforms on Friday.

The video appeared to have been recorded inside the hospital premises.

As the video went viral, senior district health officials took cognizance of the matter and sought explanation from the doctor.

‘’Such a behaviour can’t be tolerated…..a doctor can’t refuse to treat a patient irrespective of his or her religion,’’ said a senior official in Jaunpur.

The official said that the matter would be investigated and action would be taken against the doctor if the allegation were found to be true.

He also said that some local media persons forced their entry into the labor room violating the privacy of the patients.