Balasore/Nabarangpur/Malkangiri: Due to the absence of proper roads in several areas, reports of pregnant women being carried on cots and slings to hospitals and delivering half way through have become common.
In the first incident, Mina Singh of Pokhari Sahi in Balasore district, delivered a girl while being carried on a cot from her village to a nearby hospital after the ambulance failed to reach the village due to poor road conditions.
Sources said Mina experienced labour pain Saturday morning. Her family called the 102 ambulance service, but the vehicle could not show up due to the non-motorable road in the area. Mina delivered a girl while being shifted to the Remuna Community Health Centre (CHC) in the ambulance.
In another incident, Hunda Santa, of Bagbeda under Jharigaon police limits in Nabarangpur district delivered a boy half-way to hospital after the ambulance failed to reach her.
Hunda developed labour pain late Friday night. Though her family called an ambulance the vehicle could not reach the village due to heavy rains and lack of a proper road.
With no other alternative, Hunda’s family carried her on a cot early Saturday morning with the help of villagers. She gave birth to a boy midway. Later, Hunda and her baby were shifted to Jharigaon hospital where their condition is stable.
Similarly, a pregnant woman of Soriaguda village under Chitrakonda in Malkangiri district had to walk five km to reach the hospital. Though the incident occurred August 22, the matter came to light only Saturday after the woman’s plight was narrated by her family.
Though the woman’s family had called 102 ambulance service, it failed to reach the patient due to lack of a proper road to the village, her family said.
Later, the woman was made to walk 5 km to Maliguda. After crossing a canal in a boat the woman was then shifted to Chitrakonda government hospital where she delivered a boy.
PNN