Lagatar24 Desk
Dumka, Oct.4: Denial of the driver of ‘108’ ambulance to carry a pregnant tribal woman from her home at Amarpani village under Shikaripara police station area of the district has left her struggling with life at Phulo Jhano Medical College and Hospital (PJMCH).
The family members of the pregnant woman, namely Baha Marandi, had called the ‘108’ ambulance for carrying her to the Shikaripara based community health centre (CHC) after she developed labour pain. But the driver of the much-hyped emergency service vehicle refused to pick her from her home citing a bumpy and muddy road.
The pregnant woman then had to be carried on a cot to reach Haldi Pahadi, two kilometers away, where the ‘108’ vehicle was parked by the driver thereby causing an elapse of considerable time to take her to the CHC.
“The condition of my wife had deteriorated significantly due to the delay in reaching the CHC. The doctor has referred her to the PJMCH,” Dhonsel Tudu, the woman’s husband said, adding that the doctors have declared her condition to be critical.
However, PJMCH Superintendent Ravindra Kumar said that the woman reached the hospital today and had delivered twin babies on her way to the hospital. Thereafter, she left the hospital on her own, he said.
Meanwhile, Shikaripara MLA and senior JMM leader Nalin Soren has taken strong exception to the role of the ambulance driver and said he would take up the matter with the competent authority.
“It is mandatory on the part of the 108 ambulance service to pick the patients from their doorsteps. As such compelling patients to be carried on cot to reach the health centre is a serious lapse on the part of the stakeholders,” the JMM MLA said.
He added that the road to the Amarpani village will be inspected by him for needful action for its construction.
