AYODHYA: A 32-year-old woman and her newborn allegedly died due to medical negligence after a delivery was conducted by "untrained staff" at a private hospital in Ayodhya, with the doctor directing the procedure over the phone, officials and family members said on Thursday.Following the incident on Tuesday, the health department sealed the hospital and launched a probe.Suresh Yadav, a resident of Beniganj, said his wife Soni Yadav was admitted to Maa Parmeshwari Devi Memorial Hospital after she developed labour pains. The attending doctor, Anjali Shrivastava, initially told them that her condition was normal.According to the family, the doctor was not present at the time of delivery, and the procedure was carried out by a staffer, who was being guided by the doctor over the phone during delivery."After about half-an-hour, the staff handed over the baby and said he was not breathing. When we took the newborn to a nearby doctor, he was declared dead. Upon returning, we were told my wife's condition had worsened. She was then taken to another hospital, where she was also declared dead," Yadav alleged.A team from the health department, led by additional chief medical officer (ACMO) Dr Ashutosh Shrivastava, inspected the facility.

No doctor or trained medical staff were present during the inspection, and a man identified as Mahesh Singh, claiming to be the hospital manager, was found overseeing operations, the ACMO said.

"Three women who had undergone caesarean sections were also admitted there, and their care was left to the manager," the ACMO said."The hospital has been sealed and the admitted patients have been shifted to the district women's hospital. Further investigation is underway, and an FIR will be registered if negligence is established," the ACMO said, adding that the doctor is currently untraceable.