Krishnagar, June 9: Two sweepers played doctor last night to 20-year-old Safia Bibi who had delivered a baby on the way to the state-run maternity hospital in Krishnagar from where she was sent back earlier in the day.

With not one of the hospital’s 12 doctors and 10 nurses present, sweepers Shoba Rout and Jaya Pachpore cut the umbilical cord to separate the child born on the road 5 km away.

“When they arrived, the mother and the child were in a pool of blood. As there was no doctor to attend to them, we did the needful,” Jaya said.

But the baby died within half an hour of lying unattended.

Safia, whose husband Sahabul Sheikh works in a grille factory in Mumbai, had got herself admitted to the hospital yesterday. But the doctor on duty, Amitava Chowdhury, told her it was not time yet and discharged her, sources said.

The woman, who had travelled alone from Bishnupur village on the outskirts of Krishnagar, 100 km from Calcutta, returned home only to be rushed to the local health centre at night when labour pains started. The health centre was closed and brother-in-law Abdul Sheikh, who had taken her there, headed towards the district hospital.

The baby was born before they could reach.

When they did make it to the hospital, no doctor was present to attend to the mother and child. After her baby died, Safia refused to be admitted to the hospital and this morning filed a complaint with superintendent Nripati Roy.

“We have served a showcause notice on Chowdhury…. Action will be taken against the doctor if he is found guilty,” Roy said.

On the absence of the medical staff, Roy said he had summoned all of them. “This is gross negligence. We shall not tolerate such indiscipline.”

Chowdhury could not be reached for comment.