VIZIANAGARAM: A tribal woman, a mother of three girls, delivered a male child at a roadside shop with the help of Asha workers on Sunday morning after her family members’ repeated calls to the government’s much-publicised medical helpline number 108 went in vain.
The woman and the newborn are stated to be out of danger and the authorities have issued a show-cause notice to the 108 services for the lapse.
Though the incident happened near Mentada mandal headquarters of Bondapalle Mandal on Sunday morning, the issue came to light on Monday.
According to sources, Akula Mahankali, a resident of Devupalli village of Bondapalle Mandal, developed labour pain in the wee hours of Sunday.
Her family members rang up to the 108 ambulance service to shift Mahankali to the Mentada PHC which is 15 km away from their village. With the vehicle not turning up and no bus services available in those hours, the family members tried to shift her on a cot to the hospital.
Meanwhile, Asha workers reached there with an auto-rickshaw and rushed her to the Mentada PHC. With the pain of Mahankali getting severe on the way, the Asha workers took her to a roadside shop where she delivered a boy at around 6.29 am. After the delivery, she, along with the newbornm, was admitted to the Mentada PHC.
“It was a premature delivery. Mahankali’s delivery was due on November 12, but she gave birth on October 9. Mahankali claimed that she developed labour pains on early hours of Sunday. However, Asha worker received her at Devupalli and but she delivered on the way, just half a kilometre away from the hospital,” clarified DM&HO C Padmaja, adding that the department had sought an explanation from the staffers of 108 ambulance service for the lapse.
It is learnt that health minister Kamineni Srinivasa Rao also inqurired about the incident.