Malkangiri: Owing to improper road communication facility in remote villages and hilly terrains of tribal-dominated Malkangiri district, a pregnant woman gave birth to a girl child midway while being taken to a hospital Saturday.
Also read: Woman, 4-yr-old daughter stabbed by relative in Cuttack
The incident was reported from Padalput village under Nilakamberu panchayat in Korukonda block in this district.
According to a source, Dhana Muduli’s pregnant wife Debaki suffered labour pain. The family members, assisted by a few co-villagers, were transporting her to a faraway Balimela-based medical facility, as ambulance could not venture into the village.
Debaki gave birth to the girl child midway while being transported on a sling. On the other hand, an ambulance and an Asha worker were waiting for them to provide services at the foothill.
“There is no thoroughfare in four remote villages here. We have to walk down five to seven kilometres to avail transport facilities. We are often forced to carry delivery patients on slings. This time, when we were transporting this patient, she delivered a baby girl midway,” a villager rued.
It may be mentioned here that despite government orders to facilitate hassle-free and institutional childbirth of pregnant women across Odisha, ambulances often fail to arrive at doorsteps on emergent medical needs owing to poor infrastructure.
PNN