BERHAMPUR: As if the scarcity of doctors and health staff in government hospitals of Ganjam district was not enough, due to frequent power disruption and absence of alternative sources, deliveries are being carried out under mobile phone torchlight and candles.
On Monday, the delivery of a woman was conducted with the help of a torch light of the mobile phone and candles at Polasara community health centre (CHC). However, the incident drew the attention of district health officials only after a video of the incident went viral on social media.
As per sources, at around 4 pm on Monday, Tapaswini Sahu of Kalambo village was taken to the CHC after complaining of labour pain. Though she was referred to MKCG Medical College and Hospital, her family requested the doctor to do the delivery there. At around 7 pm she was taken to the labour room, but the power supply went off. Since the doctor did not want to delay the process, she started the treatment with the help of mobile phone torch and candles.
Tapaswini gave birth to a boy and both the mother and the newborn are doing fine, said Dr Pragyan Prathama of the CHC. “Without power supply also, the delivery could not have been delayed. So I had to conduct the delivery under cellphone torch as there was no generator or inverter facility available at the CHC,” she stated. Contacted, CDMO Dr Uma Mishra said a team has been constituted to inquire into the matter.