YAVATMAL: An inquiry has been started after a woman gave birth outside a Primary Health Centre (PHC) in the Yavatmal district of Maharashtra, allegedly in the absence of medical staff, and the baby died soon after.
The incident took place at Vidul village in Umarkhed tehsil on Friday.
The woman's father, the resident of the same village, told reporters that he took her to the PHC in an auto rickshaw as he could not arrange an ambulance when she began to have labour pains.
But when they reached the PHC, there was no doctor or other medical staff there, he alleged.
His daughter gave birth on the veranda outside the PHC and the infant died sometime later, he said.
District Health Officer Prahlad Chavan said a medical officer and nurses were present at the PHC but the woman was reportedly brought to the centre late.
On Saturday, Chavan visited the PHC and recorded the statements of the medical officer and other staff, sources said.
He learnt that the woman's family members called the regular 108 ambulance service but no ambulance was available.
They, however, did not call the 102 ambulance service which is meant for pregnant women, sources said.
Chavan will be submitting his report to the Yavatmal Zilla Parishad's Chief Executive Officer, they added.