BARIPADA:THE Health Department will soon start motorcycle ambulance service in remote areas of Mayurbhanj district where 102 and 108 ambulances cannot reach due to inaccessible terrain and other factors.
This was informed by Health Minister Pratap Jena, who was here on Friday to review construction work of Pandit Raghunath Murmu MCH at Rangamatia. He said these motorcycle ambulances will come as a huge help for pregnant women and critical patients who face difficulty in reaching health centres in the absence of 102 and 108 ambulances.
The Minister added that there are 329 inaccessible villages in Mayurbhanj district where there are no roads for ambulances to reach. Due to this, many women are forced to opt for non-institutional delivery and children are not brought to health centres for immunisation.The Minister said State Government will soon provide `50 crore for purchase of equipment for the MCH where facilities like CT Scan, dialysis, MRI and digital x-ray would be provided to the patients free of cost. This apart, new outdoor complexes will come up at community health centres (CHCs) at Betnoti, Krushna Chandra Pur, Moroda, Raruan, Rashgobindpur, Sukruli and Kuliona at the cost of `80 lakh each.
A mother and child care unit will be set up at Rairangpur at the expenditure of `11.25 crore during this financial year, Jena said, adding that State Government has decided to set up a skill training school for nursing students at Baripada. At least 35 allopathic doctors have been appointed at the MCH and they would join on August 21.
Jena directed the Director of Medical Education and Training to expedite infrastructure works in the MCH and asked Chief District Medical Officer to fill up para-medical staff positions in the hospital within a week. He said a Mahaprayan vehicle will be provided at the MCH soon.
Principal of the MCH Sriradhakrushna Mohapatra informed the Health Minister about poor condition of the century-old district headquarters hospital which is being upgraded to MCH.
Pregnant woman dies as ambulance fails
Dhenkanal: A pregnant woman of Bhutubhuti in Bam gram panchayat under Kankadahada block died of labour pain on Friday after driver of an 108 ambulance allegedly refused to take the vehicle to the village due to lack of pucca road. Sources said the deceased, identified as Sajani Mahant (22), developed labour pain following which family members and villagers rang up the 108 ambulance service to take her to Kamakshyanagar sub-divisional hospital, located about 30 kms from the village. However, the ambulance stopped at a distance of one and half km away from Sajani’s house and refused to go any further citing lack of proper road, sources said. Meanwhile, unable to bear the pain, Sajani breathed her last. On being informed, Sarpanch Bharati Sahoo and ASHA worker Hemalata Mahant rushed to her village.