FRASER Health told The VOICE on Thursday that they are “checking to see what happened” in the case of a pregnant South Asian woman who delivered her baby on the Surrey Memorial Hospital lobby floor after having been sent away three times from the hospital last month.

CityNews Vancouver reported on Wednesday that when Pawandeep Samra went to the hospital in pain for the first time on December 25, she was monitored for about two hours and then sent home. She was accompanied by her husband, Gagandeep Singh Bandhan.

However, the couple returned to the hospital as Pawandeep was in severe pain. She was given a pain killer, made to wait for two to three hours and then sent home again. The couple went to the hospital a third time.

Then, on their fourth visit, Samra’s water broke during the car ride to the hospital.

Pawandeep got out of the car near the birth unit lobby where, as she told CityNews Vancouver, she “bent over … holding my baby right there.”

She said she asked a South Asian female security guard there to call some doctor or nurse because she had already delivered her baby. The security guard brought a wheelchair for her. Then the staff got a stretcher.

Pawandeep said that both she and the staff were freaked out.

However, the good news is that the baby is doing fine.

Fraser Health in a statement to The VOICE said: “We are sorry to hear about this person’s experience at Surrey Memorial Hospital. We are committed to providing safe and timely patient care to each person who presents to one of our hospitals.

“In addition to checking to see what happened in this case, we will connect directly with the patient to hear their concerns, and to hear how they and their infant are doing.

“We appreciate the patient coming forward to share their experience so we can follow-up with them and apply any learnings that may support an improved patient experience.”

Fraser Health added: “While each case is unique, in general, when a pregnant person presents to the hospital in labour, they are first assessed by a nurse with expertise in taking care of pregnant individuals and are then assessed by an obstetrical care provider. If they are clinically assessed to be in early labour, they may be asked to return home so they can rest and have access to their own home comforts. They are provided with clear instructions on when to return as their labour symptoms progress.

“On rare occasions, the labour and delivery process may escalate quickly, and with little warning. When this occurs, our priority is to assess the individual and their baby as soon as possible to ensure their health and well-being.”