Woman delivers baby in auto-rickshaw as ambulance fails to turn up

Nabarangpur: Despite numerous reports of expectant mothers delivering on way to hospital due to failure in ambulance services in tribal dominated districts of Odisha, the administration seems least bothered to wake from its slumber. In another incident of medical negligence, a woman in Nabarangpur district today delivered a baby in an auto-rickshaw after ambulance failed to turn up.

According to reports, one Rajabati Bidhani of Dangara village in Ghodakhunta panchayat under Dabugan block complained of labour pain at around 4 am today following which her family members called up the 108 ambulance.

But as they could not contact it, they informed the 102 ambulance which even after a couple of hours also did not turn up.

Left to fend for themselves, her family members hired an auto-rickshaw to take her to a nearby hospital. However, she delivered a baby boy in the auto-rickshaw before reaching the hospital.

Later, both the mother and her infant were admitted to the Dabugan Community Health Centre (CHC) while their condition is stated to be stable now.

This is not the first instance in Nabarangpur district as many such cases were reported from interior areas like Jharigaon, Papadahandi and Dabugaon blocks here. Sources further claimed that only one 102 and 108 ambulance have been provided for each block of the district which is cited as the main reason behind such repeated ambulance failures.