Woman in labour: Nabarangpur’s kutcha roads hinder 102 service

NABARANGPUR:Absence of road connectivity in remote blocks of Nabarangpur district has now become a cause of concern for health administration as far as providing emergency healthcare services to pregnant women is concerned. Women in labour either have to walk or are carried on cots to health centres for delivery.

On Thursday, a woman in labour had to be carried on a cot by her family members for 2 km through a muddy road before they could get an 102 ambulance that took her to the local community health centre (CHC). She delivered the baby inside the ambulance. Dasai Santa of Telari village under Kurishi panchayat in Umerkote block went into labour early this morning. Her family members informed the local ASHA worker, who arranged for an 102 ambulance. The ambulance, which arrived from Umerkote, had to stop 2 km away from the village due to lack of an all-weather road to Telari village. Dasai’s family members, with the help local youths, carried her on a cot and walked for 2 km to reach the ambulance. On way to Umerkote CHC, Dasai’s labour pain increased and the ambulance had to stop at Burja village where she gave birth to a baby boy inside the vehicle. She was then taken to CHC where doctors provided preliminary treatment to both the mother and the son.

Their condition is stable now. Incidents like these have occurred several times in the past, also raising a question on functioning of Maa Gruhas (Maternity Waiting Homes) that have been established in different parts of the district under government’s Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) Programme. For increasing institutional delivery and bringing down infant and maternal mortality rates, Maa Gruhas were established. Anganwadi workers, ASHA workers and ANMs were directed to identify the high risk category of pregnant mothers and initiate immediate steps to put them in Maa Gruhas, where they can avail medical service. However, the facility seems to be of little help for pregnant women.