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Woman gives birth in car after hospital allegedly turns her away

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GEORGE TOWN (THE STAR) - A woman gave birth in a car when she could not reach a public hospital in time – apparently just hours after being sent home from one despite her protests.

According to a post on the PenangKu Viral Facebook page, the woman ended up at a private hospital after giving birth.

The post claimed that the woman’s husband was now upset at having to pay for the “unexpected” hospital bill.

He blamed a public hospital for turning his wife away earlier.

The time of the incident was recorded, but there was no mention of the day on which it occurred.

The woman, from Sungai Ara, had reportedly checked into the hospital on the mainland at 11am after there were signs that labour was imminent.

At 12.30pm, a doctor came to check on the woman and found that her cervix was only dilated to 2cm.

Some three hours later, according to the post, the woman was asked to go home as she was told that it would be some time before she could go into labour.

The woman pleaded with the hospital to let her stay, saying that she lived in Sungai Ara, which is far away.

However, her pleas were allegedly ignored.

Shortly after reaching home at about 7pm, the woman told her husband that she needed to be rushed to hospital again.

Travel times to public hospitals ranged from 50 minutes to one hour and 20 minutes at the time owing to peak-hour traffic.

According to the Facebook post, the woman ended up delivering her baby in the car before her husband took her to the nearest private hospital.

A Penang Health Department spokesman said it was investigating the incident and would come up with a report to be forwarded to the Health Ministry.

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