A three-member inquiry committee has confirmed that a pregnant woman gave birth in a washroom at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) in Karachi, directly contradicting the hospital administration’s claims that the reports were “baseless”.
The probe revealed that the patient arrived at the JPMC gynecology ward with labor pains. However, the staff failed to provide a standard medical evaluation. The committee found that the woman was denied a timely medical assessment, refused an ultrasound examination, and was instructed by staff to walk around despite being in active labor.
The failure to monitor her condition led to the delivery taking place inside a hospital toilet.
The inquiry also established that both the consultant and the resident medical officer (RMO) on duty were absent from their posts.
Initially, the JPMC administration denied the incident. Hospital officials claimed that the patient was immediately attended to in the gynecology emergency ward, underwent a medical examination and had a normal delivery inside a designated labor room under full medical supervision.
However, videos of the washroom childbirth went viral on social media. The footage triggered widespread public concern and severe criticism regarding patient care standards at one of the largest public-sector hospitals in Sindh.
Following public outcry, the Sindh Health Department and the JPMC administration formed the inquiry committee to investigate the circumstances and establish accountability.
To compile the report, investigators recorded statements from the affected woman, her husband and a woman who assisted with the birth inside the washroom.
The committee also reviewed CCTV footage, examined hospital records and took statements from doctors, nursing staff and other hospital personnel.
The committee has recommended referring the responsible RMO to the Sindh Health Department for departmental proceedings due to negligence.
Additionally, the report has proposed extending the training period of the on-duty postgraduate doctors by three months as a disciplinary measure to improve professional accountability and clinical supervision.
