DEOGARH: A pregnant woman in labour had to be carried by her family members across a flooded bridge in Barkore area after the ambulance failed to reach her village on Sunday.
The incident occurred at Kaliapal village following heavy overnight rainfall. The downpour caused the Tankujura stream near the village to swell, disrupting road communication.
Sources said Padmini Sabar went into labour in the morning following which her family immediately called the 108 ambulance service. However, with nearly three feet of floodwater flowing over the local bridge, the ambulance could not reach the village and was forced to stop midway.
With the woman in severe labour pain, the family arranged an auto-rickshaw and brought her up to the bridge. Eventually, she was carried on the shoulders of family members and relatives across the submerged bridge so that she could be transferred to the ambulance.
The delay in crossing the flooded bridge meant that the woman could not reach the hospital on time. While she was being taken to the hospital in the ambulance, she delivered a baby boy inside the vehicle.
Padmini was subsequently admitted to Barkote community health centre (CHC). Both the mother and the newborn are stated to be in stable condition.
Villagers said the bridge over Tankujura stream gets submerged during the rainy season every year, leaving residents vulnerable to serious difficulties, particularly during medical emergencies. They urged the administration to ensure all-weather road connectivity to Kaliapal village.
Anganwadi worker of the village Punchali Behera said the bridge gets inundated after just a few hours of rainfall every monsoon. Though there is an alternative route through Talabahali, it becomes muddy and difficult to navigate during heavy rain.
Contacted, BDO of Barkote Suryakant Bariha said he was unaware of any such incident. “I would inquire into the incident,” he added.
