AYODHYA, April 3 -- A 32-year-old woman and her newborn baby died due to alleged medical negligence at a private hospital here late Tuesday night, prompting the health department to seal the facility and launch a probe. Family members of the deceased accused the hospital of allowing untrained staff to conduct the delivery, alleging the entire procedure was directed by an absent doctor over a mobile phone. 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 owner of the facility and attending doctor, Anjali Shrivastava, an MBBS gynecologist, initially informed them that her condition was normal. However late at night, a female employee took the patient to the labour room. According to the family, the doctor was not present at the time of delivery, and the procedure was carried out by a staffer. The husband alleged that this staffer was being guided by the doctor over the phone during delivery. "After approximately half an hour, the employee handed a newborn into my sister-in-law's lap and said that the baby was not breathing and should be taken to a paediatrician. When the child was shown to a private doctor nearby, the doctor declared the baby dead. When she returned to the hospital, she was told that my wife's condition had deteriorated. She was taken to a nearby private hospital, where the doctor declared her dead as well," claimed Yadav. The family alleged that at the time of delivery, neither Dr Anjali Shrivastav nor any other doctor was present there, and the delivery was conducted by an untrained employee. They alleged gross negligence during the procedure, which resulted in the death of both the mother and the newborn. When the matter escalated, a health department team reached the hospital for investigation under the leadership of ACMO Dr Ashutosh Shrivastav. During this, no doctor or health worker were found there. A person named Mahesh Singh was present, who identified himself as the hospital's manager. At that time, three women had undergone Caesarean operations, and their care was left in the hands of the same male manager, said the ACMO. During the inquiry, Dr Anjali Shrivastav was identified as the chief doctor. Despite being asked multiple times, the manager could not arrange a conversation with the doctor. The hospital's records were incomplete, the doctor's credentials were not produced and medical waste management was found to be unsatisfactory, he added. "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. Suresh Yadav said he married Soni Yadav, a resident of Mukimpur in the Inayat Nagar area, on April 18, 2025. "Due to the negligence of the hospital management, the happiness of our home is shattered. I demand strict action against the owner of the hospital," he added....