Orissa: Baby delivered in pickup van

A pregnant woman of Palakhamana village under Kalyansinghpur block in Orissa’s Rayagada district on Thursday delivered her baby on the way to hospital in a Tata Magic van as the government ambulance failed to reach on time.

Reports from Rayagada said when the woman, named Sunita Bhatriya, felt labour pain, her family members called the 102 ambulance service to take her to Kalyasinghpur hospital.

Under the 102 National Ambulance Services, pregnant women and sick infants are provided free referral transport facilities.

As the 201 Ambulance did not arrive on time, the relatives of the pregnant women dialled 108 Ambulance Services meant for transporting patients to local hospitals.

As none of the two ambulances reached the spot to help the pregnant lady, the family members hired a Tata Magic vehicle to take her to hospital.

However, the woman delivered a baby boy on the halfway in the vehicle. Later, both the mother and the newborn were admitted to the Kalyansinghpur Community Health Hospital (CHC) hospital for further treatment. Doctors at the CHC said the both the woman and her baby were doing well.

Rayagada additional district magistrate Laxmikant Behera said an inquiry had been ordered to the alleged negligence by the 102 and 108 Ambulance Services.

District collector Guha Punam Tapas Kumar in the afternoon visited Kalyasinghpur, 60 km from the district headquarters, to review the healthcare services at the CHC. She directed the chief district medical officer (CDMO) Dr Ananda Chandra Padhi to ensure that basic healthcare infrastructure was maintained and all people were provided quick services at all the CHCs in Rayagada.