Denied ambulance, woman delivers on road after walking 20 Km; baby dies

Katni (MP), Jul 31: A pregnant woman trudged 20 km and delivered baby on the road due to unavailability of ambulance in Katni district of Madhya Pradesh. The newborn baby girl died.

Beena, resident of Barmani village, decided to walk 20 km to Barhi community health centre with her husband as the ambulance failed to arrive and she was feeling labour pains. Her family members alleged that they had called the community health centre for ambulance, but it didn't come. She reached Barhi town, but delivered a baby girl on the road, near a police station.

The family members told mediapersons that the baby died as she fell to the ground. However, the chief medical and health officer (CMHO) of the district Ashok Avadhia said the newborn could not survive as she was born prematurely, in the seven month of pregnancy.

Asked why no ambulance was sent, he said it wasn't available at the Barhi community health centre. "Janani Express (108 ambulance service for pregnant women) is not under our control. It is made available through Bhopal," he said. An inquiry had been ordered into the incident, he added.

PTI