JAGATSINGHPUR: Exposing the sorry state of health affairs in the State, a 27-year-old woman delivered a baby boy on the verandah of Balikuda community health centre (CHC) without any medical assistance on Tuesday evening.
The incident triggered strong discontentment among locals who gheraoed Balikuda CHC demanding action against the medical staff for not attending to the pregnant woman.As per reports, the pregnant woman, identified as Krishnalata Swain of Mutunia village, developed labour pain on Tuesday following which her husband Niranjan called 102 ambulance service. However, the ambulance did not respond to his call. Harassed, Niranjan then took Krishnalata to Balikuda CHC on his bicycle.
After travelling on the bicycle for half an hour, Krishnalata’s condition worsened. Unable to walk any further, she lay down on the verandah of the CHC. Despite their repeated calls for assistance, no medical staff came to shift the pregnant woman to the labour room.As per reports, out of two gynaecologist posts in Balikuda CHC, one is lying vacant. The other gynaecologist is on leave.
Niranjan said, “I kept calling the nurses to help my pregnant wife. But they did not attend to her saying the delivery was not due. She gave birth without any medical assistance.” “Even after the baby was born, the medical staff didn’t visit my wife. Instead, they asked us to bring the baby to them,” alleged the husband. Later, Niranjan shifted both his wife and the newborn baby to district headquarters hospital, Jagatsinghpur in a critical condition.
Medical Officer of Balikuda CHC Ajaya Swain said in absence of doctors and nurses, the sweeper should shift pregnant women to the labour room. However, no sweeper was present in the CHC when this incident happened. “The pregnant woman had a premature delivery, three months before the due date as she came to the CHC on a bicycle. Probe into the incident is underway and action will be taken against errant staff,” Swain said and added that the condition of both the mother and baby is stable and they have been shifted to Sishu Bhavan, Cuttack.