RAIPUR: A pregnant woman, left in lurch by the lack of timely availability of the health services she needed most, delivered a baby in an auto-rickshaw she hired to reach the hospital at the district headquarter in Koriya, north Chhattisgarh, about 350 km from Raipur.
A resident of Pipariya panchayat at Manendgarh development block, Sunita (25) claimed that she initially couldn’t get quick response from the much acclaimed ‘Sanjeevani Express’ an emergency ambulance service and later with the help of Mitanin (community health worker in rural areas), she hired an auto rickshaw to reach community health centre (CHC) only to find no doctor available to assist her.
Even the paramedical staff at the CHC didn't help in admitting her despite the labour pain. The staff after a preliminary examination of the pregnant woman told the family that there is a position complication as the unborn baby appears upside down. She was reportedly advised by them to better consult any private nursing home.
Worried with the feedback and the heavy expenses, the family decided to take Sunita immediately to district hospital some 40 km away by an auto-rickshaw but on the way she gives birth in an auto.
Dr Suresh Tiwari, block medical officer (BMO), denied there was any negligence or mistake committed by the hospital staff.
The Koriya collector Narendra Dugga cited it was the communication gap among the lower staff that led to this situation, though he has sought an explanation.
“Mitanin should have waited at the CHC. After learning about the case I immediately asked the BMO to reach hospital and attend the woman. But Mitanin took her away immediately. Some 10 km away on their way to district hospital the woman delivered a baby”, the collector told the New Indian Express and further added that the newborn was underweight and been admitted in the Baikunthpur hospital for better medical care.
The health of the woman is stable, the doctor said.