Pakistan maternal care crisis: Woman delivers in JPMC washroom, inquiry ordered
Synopsis
A woman gave birth in a hospital washroom in Karachi after being denied basic care — and the inquiry that followed confirmed what the viral video implied: systemic negligence, not a one-off lapse. With 27 mothers dying daily from preventable causes and Pakistan far off its 2030 SDG targets, the JPMC incident is a flashpoint in a long-running public health failure.
Key Takeaways
A woman in labour delivered her baby in a washroom at JPMC, Karachi after being denied an ultrasound and told to walk around.
A three-member inquiry committee confirmed negligence: no ultrasound, no clinical assessment, and the resident medical officer was absent.
Pakistan records nearly 9,800 maternal deaths , 2,46,300 newborn deaths , and over 1,90,000 stillbirths annually, according to available data.
Pakistan has committed to reducing maternal mortality to 70 deaths per 1,00,000 live births by 2030 under Agenda 2030 but remains far off target.
A separate BBC Eye Investigations probe found ongoing malpractice at a Punjab government hospital, including reuse of dirty syringes and injections from contaminated vials.
A woman in labour delivered her baby in a washroom at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) in Karachi after being denied an ultrasound and told to 'walk around' — an incident that has reignited scrutiny of Pakistan's chronically underfunded maternal healthcare system. Videos of the delivery, which reportedly took place at one of Sindh's largest public hospitals, spread rapidly online, triggering widespread public outrage.
What the Inquiry Found
The Sindh Health Department and JPMC administration constituted a three-member inquiry committee following the public backlash. The committee's findings were damning: the patient was advised to walk rather than being clinically assessed, no ultrasound was conducted, and the resident medical officer was absent from duty at the time. According to the inquiry report, these lapses 'expose not only negligence but also the systemic weaknesses that continue to plague the country's healthcare system.'
A Symptom of a Deeper Crisis
The JPMC incident is not an isolated failure. Despite being a signatory to Agenda 2030 and committing to the Sustainable Development Goal of reducing maternal mortality to 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030, Pakistan continues to fall far short. According to available data, 27 mothers die every day from preventable complications, alongside 675 newborn deaths daily — translating to nearly 9,800 maternal deaths, 2,46,300 newborn deaths, and over 1,90,000 stillbirths annually. This single case, amplified by viral footage and public anger, is being described as emblematic of a broader maternal health crisis that decades of policy frameworks have failed to resolve.
Pattern of Hospital Negligence
The Karachi incident follows a series of disturbing revelations about Pakistan's public health infrastructure. In April 2025, an investigation by the BBC uncovered 'serious malpractice' in the children's ward of a government hospital in Punjab province. Earlier, the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital (THQ) in Taunsa was linked to an HIV outbreak among children in 2025. Punjab authorities suspended the Medical Superintendent of THQ in March of that year and announced a crackdown — yet secret filming by BBC Eye Investigations, conducted weeks later, found violations continuing unabated.
What BBC's Investigation Revealed
The BBC footage documented nurses injecting patients through their clothing, dirty syringes being reused, unqualified workers administering injections to multiple children from a single blood-contaminated vial of liquid medicine — repeated and serious breaches of basic infection control. The findings suggested that administrative suspensions and public assurances had not translated into meaningful reform on the ground.
What Comes Next
The JPMC inquiry committee's findings are expected to inform disciplinary proceedings against the staff identified as negligent. However, accountability in individual cases has historically done little to address the structural gaps — understaffing, absent oversight, and inadequate infrastructure — that make such incidents possible. Whether the public pressure this time translates into systemic reform remains to be seen.
Point of View
But the inquiry's findings — absent doctor, no ultrasound, patient told to walk — describe standard operating conditions in much of Pakistan's public health system, not an aberration. Pakistan is a signatory to Agenda 2030 yet records 27 preventable maternal deaths a day; the gap between commitment and delivery is not a resource problem alone, it is a governance one. The BBC Punjab investigation makes the same point: suspending a Medical Superintendent does not fix a culture of impunity. Until accountability reaches the ward level and infrastructure investment is independently audited, these incidents will keep recurring and going viral in cycles without producing change.
NationPress
21 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened at JPMC Karachi that sparked public outrage?
A woman in labour at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre in Karachi was denied an ultrasound and told to walk around, and subsequently delivered her baby in a hospital washroom. Videos of the incident went viral, prompting the Sindh Health Department to order an inquiry.
What did the JPMC inquiry committee find?
The three-member inquiry committee found that the patient was not properly assessed, no ultrasound was performed, and the resident medical officer was absent from duty. The committee concluded that the incident reflected both individual negligence and systemic weaknesses in Pakistan's healthcare system.
How serious is Pakistan's maternal health crisis?
According to available data, Pakistan records approximately 9,800 maternal deaths, 2,46,300 newborn deaths, and over 1,90,000 stillbirths every year. Despite committing to the UN Sustainable Development Goal of reducing maternal mortality to 70 deaths per 1,00,000 live births by 2030, the country remains far from that target.
What did the BBC investigation into Pakistan's hospitals reveal?
A BBC Eye Investigations probe found serious malpractice at a government hospital in Punjab province, including nurses injecting patients through their clothing, reuse of dirty syringes, and unqualified workers injecting multiple children from a blood-contaminated vial — all after authorities had claimed to have taken corrective action.
Was anyone held accountable for the JPMC incident?
The Sindh Health Department and JPMC administration set up a three-member inquiry committee following public pressure. The committee identified negligence, and disciplinary proceedings against the staff involved are expected to follow, though systemic reform remains uncertain.
