Denied Shelter at the Hospital, A Woman Gives Birth in a Police Station

A woman, 24 years of age, gave birth to a child at the police station on Monday morning at 4:30 o'clock. This woman had previously applied for admittance to a public hospital. She told the attendant her story, but despite the fact that she was to become a mother, 'under the rules of the hospital it was impossible to receive her.' Then this poor creature in her distress went to Dr. Hunt's office for assistance; from here she was taken to the office of City Physician Lames. Assistant Physician Palmer telephoned the hospital asking if the poor woman could be received, but a negative reply was returned. Dr. Palmer decided that he had no authority as health officer to hire a room with proper accommodations for a case of this kind, so the poor, suffering woman, as a last resort, was taken to police headquarters, where within six minutes after her arrival she gave birth to a child in the patrolman's room. This took place in a Christian land; in a city of 60,000 inhabitants. Why was this poor woman obliged to tramp to and fro in fruitless search of shelter? It was not because our people are inhuman or heartless or unchristian; it was because the stupidity that paralyses and strangles charity and humanity with red tape regulations; regulations that ought to be tempered with decent powers of discretion.