in Odisha‘s Ramapura village

By Express News Service  |

The pregnant woman with her relatives | Express

NABARANGPUR:Negligence in ambulance services continues to give patients tough time in rural areas of the State. In yet another such incident, a pregnant woman had to be carried on shoulders by her family members after the calls for ambulance service failed on Monday.

According to Jagannath Gond, husband of the pregnant woman Rumai, of Ramapara village under Tohora gram panchayat in Umerkote block, they had called 102 and 108 ambulance services but the control unit failed to arrange one. With no other option for communication and Rumai in severe labour pain, Jagannath and other family members carried her for around 3 km to the nearest main road, from where they took a taxi to Umerkote Community Health Centre (CHC).

Gynaecology and Obstetrics (O&G) specialist Doctor Sumant Kumar Raul said, “She was suffering from labour pain when she arrived and we delivered the baby within half an hour. A male child was born and both mother and son are healthy.”
Rumai gave birth to a boy in the CHC and the condition of both mother and son is safe, said Chief District Medical Officer Arup Ghosh.

Rumai had come to her paternal village two days back, said Ghosh. Had her parents informed an Asha worker or ANM of the village, they would have registered her name and made advance planning for shifting her to CHC, he added.
It is learnt that there is no all-weather road to Ramapara. It is not accessible by a vehicle and in the past too, women had to face similar problems.

State Health Minister Pratap Jena on Wednesday ordered a probe into the incident of a pregnant woman being carried on shoulders by family members allegedly due to 102 and 108 ambulance failure in Rampara village of Nabarangpur district.

The minister further ordered a departmental inquiry into the failure of the ambulance service in this incident.

“A thorough investigation is required over such negligence. Strict disciplinary action will be taken against those who are responsible,” said Jena.

According to the claims of Damani Gond’s family members, she complained of labour pain on Monday following which the 108 and 102 ambulance service was called. But as the vehicles did not arrive, she was carried by them for nearly three kilometres and then taken to Umerkote Community Health Centre (CHC) by booking a private vehicle, the family members said.

Damani gave birth to a baby boy in the CHC. The condition of both mother and son was said to be safe.http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/odisha/2017/jun/21/family-members-carry-pregnant-woman-in-odishas-ramapura-village-1619168.html