KORAPUT: A Pregnant woman delivered her baby on the road in Koraput district on Wednesday as the 102 and 108 ambulance services did not respond to the calls made by her family members. The incident took place in Dasmanthpur block.
The woman, Situmai Sawnta of Gajiaguda village of Tunkhal panchayat experienced labour pain on Tuesday night. Her family members called up both the 102 and 108 ambulance services for institutional delivery at Dasmanthpur Community Health Centre (CHC), but the calls went unanswered. When the pain increased, the pregnant woman decided to walk down to the CHC which is seven kms away from the village, with the help of women members of her family. However, she could not walk for a long time and delivered the baby midway on the muddy road.
Some locals informed the CHC authorities, who sent a four-wheeler to the spot in which Situmai and her child were shifted to the health centre. Doctors said both are doing well.
Jeypore MLA, Taraprasad Bahinipati flayed the Chief Minister for failing to ensure availability of 102 and 108 ambulance services to remote pockets of the State. He said if such cases are repeated in future, the Collector will be held responsible.
Last week, a similar case had taken place in Rayagada district. The woman, Hikaka Kundunji (30), who was in labour pain, had to be carried on a bicycle for one km by her husband till a four-wheeler driver offered to shift her in his vehicle to Kalyansinghpur Community Health Centre (CHC). Hikaka belongs to Bariguda village of Singari panchayat of the district and from her village, the nearest Kalyansinghpur CHC is six km.
When she went into labour, her husband Sarabu called up the 102 and 108 ambulance services with the help of ASHA worker.
They waited for more than one hour for either of the ambulances to arrive, but none turned up. As the labour pain increased, Sarabu decided to shift his wife to the CHC on his cycle with the help of an ASHA worker. After travelling one km when the pain became acute, they made her lie down on the road. In the meantime, a four-wheeler was passing through the stretch and the driver agreed to shift Hikaka to the CHC, where she delivered a baby boy.