UPDATED: Chapelton midwife removed from frontline duties after woman gives birth on sidewalk

The midwife at the Chapelton Community Hospital in Clarendon has been taken off frontline duty arising from the November 4 incident where a pregnant woman was turned away from the facility.

The woman, Shelly-Ann Smith, soon after gave birth on the sidewalk outside the hospital.

At a press conference this afternoon,  the chairman of the Southern Regional Health Authority, Wayne Chen, said the midwife failed to thoroughly examine Smith when she turned up at the hospital.

Chen says the midwife will be off duty pending an investigation.

An official at the Chapelton hospital had explained that the pregnant woman was a high-risk patient and was advised before her due date that Chapleton was not equipped to handle those kinds of pregnancies.

At the press conference today, Regional Technical Director at the  authority, Dr. Michael  Coombs, said that there was no available ambulance at Chapelton hospital to transport the pregnant woman to the May Pen Hospital.

Coombs also revealed that Smith has indicated that she plans to file a lawsuit against the hospital.

He also said though it was unfortunate that Smith gave birth on the street, she could have avoided such an occurrence had she remained up-to-date with her prenatal examinations.

NOTE: The headline on an earlier version of this story suggested that the midwife had been suspended, this is not so. She remains at work but has been taken off frontline duties.