200 deliveries in four years: Karnataka ambulance technician’s efforts save lives

HUBBALLI:  This 29-year-old emergency medical technician attached to the 108 ambulance service has come as a big saviour to rural pregnant women.  

Jaganath Readdy, from Chikka Hesarur in Lingasugur taluk of Raichur district, has assisted in over 200 deliveries in the last four years of his service.  He joined the 108 ambulance service of KIMS, Hubballi, in 2015 and is based out of Chitagubbi in Dharwad district.

“In many cases, mostly in rural areas, there is a delay in calling for an ambulance or taking pregnant women to a nearby primary health centre. This results in women experiencing labour pain and delivering the baby in the ambulance itself and we have to assist them,” he said.  

“It’s our duty to save people during emergencies, especially in delivery cases. Here, we need to take care of both the mother and the baby. My first case was a complicated one, but when I was able to save both the mother and the baby, I gained confidence. We administer painkillers to pregnant women, but if things go out of control, we stop the ambulance and deliver the baby. We then take the mother and the baby to a 
hospital for further care,” he said.  He has successfully assisted in delivering 15 babies from a single village —Chennapura in Dharwad district — and another 12 deliveries from Mantur village.

“When I joined the service as a staff nurse, I faced a challenging situation. A family from Shiraguppa village called an ambulance. However, by the time we reached the village, it was too late. And by the time we reached Hubballi, the birth crowning had started and the woman’s health was deteriorating. So I decided to help the woman with the delivery. She delivered a girl.

After I achieved success, I was confident of assisting in more deliveries,” he said. He is also a well-known face in the hospitals, and senior doctors hail his service.As a gesture of goodwill, Jaganath is invited by the parents of children born in the ambulance for naming ceremonies and birthday parties of the kids.