SRIKAKULAM: Gavvala Chamanti, a 20-year-old woman from Peddalaxmipuram village of Ichchapuram mandal, had acute labour pain, en route hospital, on Wednesday. Thinking that it was time for delivery, 108 ambulance officials, with the support of some women, conducted delivery in the ambulance itself. After she delivered a baby boy in the ambulance, 108 ambulance vehicle officials shifted her to the government hospital at Ichchapuram for further medical care.
Pregnant women delivering babies in the 108 ambulance vehicles are not very uncommon incidents.
About a week ago, on February 14, Savara Kasturi from Killoyi Colony of Mandasa mandal delivered her baby in a 108 ambulance on way to the hospital. Between 100 and 150 deliveries — at an average of two to three deliveries in each ambulance vehicle — take place in those on their way to the hospitals, every month in the district.
Keeping this in view, emergency medical technicians (EMT) were given training in conducting the deliveries better. While as many as 24,718 pregnant women were helped in 2016-17, 10,462 were helped in 2017-18 and 9,713 were extended help in form of dropping them at hospitals, between March 2018 and January 2019, said Attada Akhil, the 108 ambulance vehicles district manager.
The district has about 28,108 ambulance vehicles. Sometimes deliveries take place en route the hospitals, when the EMT, with the support of the family members of the pregnant woman would conduct deliveries in the ambulance vehicles.
Between 850 and 950 pregnant women are dropped at the hospitals every month. Keeping deliveries in ambulances and other emergencies in view, hospital front desk operators (HFDOs) have been appointed and posted at RIMS hospital in Srikakuam. HFDOs alert the doctors and arrange beds by the time patients reach hospitals. The EMTs, who have not undergone the training till date, will be given it to enable them to conducting deliveries during emergencies, sources said.
