A tragic incident occurred on 18 November 2025 at the district-run hospital in Haveri, Karnataka, when a 30-year-old woman, Roopa Girish Karabannanavar of Kakola village, Ranebennur taluk, delivered a baby in a hospital corridor and the newborn died after falling onto the hard floor.
Roopa had arrived in labor around 9 a.m., but she says she was denied a bed because the labor ward was full and made to sit on the floor outside the delivery room for about an hour. With no guidance or assistance, she walked to the restroom and unexpectedly went into labour in the passageway; the baby suffered a fatal head injury and died on the spot.
The family strongly blame hospital staff for gross negligence. They say staff members ignored Roopa’s urgent pleas for help, were preoccupied with mobile phones, and failed to direct her to a bed or to the washroom in time.
One relative said: “She was in distress and pain, but none of the hospital staff, including doctors and nurses, cared to look at her. We begged them to address her situation, but they were busy on their mobile phones. They could have saved the child.”
They have filed a formal complaint and demand accountability.
District Surgeon Dr P R Havanoor said the woman arrived at the hospital at 10:27 a.m., and that the labour ward was already occupied with three other deliveries. He recorded Roopa’s blood pressure at 160/100 and noted that she reported no fetal movement since the previous evening, raising suspicion that the baby may have died in the womb. According to CCTV footage, Roopa left the ward at 11:07 a.m. en route to the restroom, which is when the delivery happened.
He said, “There is no prima facie medical negligence but we will investigate the matter.”
The Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has registered a suo motu case and asked the district administration to submit a detailed report within three days. A state-level investigation committee: featuring the Deputy Commissioner, Women & Child Welfare Officer, Child Protection Officer, a gynaecologist, technical expert and the district surgeon, has been formed and legal action may follow based on its findings.
The incident has triggered sharp criticism from the opposition. The Bharatiya Janata Party (Karnataka unit) accused the Congress-led state government of serious neglect in public health infrastructure. Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka said to Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao: “What is happening in your department, sir? During our previous government we had planned help desks in all government hospitals to guide poor patients seeking treatment.”
He also alleged that healthcare service charges have gone up, quality of medicines has fallen, and Jan Aushadhi stores in hospitals have been shut, arguing the tragedy reflects deep-rooted systemic failure.
(Rh/ARC/MSM)