U'khand: Pregnant woman delivers baby in bus due to lack of medical facilities

After her delivery, she was brought to Kotdwar Base Hospital in an ambulance by calling the 108 emergency services. On medical examination, doctors concluded that both the mother and child are healthy.

Kotdwar: A pregnant woman here gave birth to a baby girl on a bus en route to Kotdwar Base Hospital on Thursday. Due to the unavailability of doctors and medical equipment at the Nainidanda health center, the woman was referred to some other hospital. Because of the last moment notice, the woman's family could not arrange for an ambulance and went for the only alternative available -- a private bus owned by Garhwal Motor Owners Union Ltd. (GMOU).

The incident has created a stir with many questioning the status of health facilities under the Health Minister Dr Dhan Singh Rawat. The woman Hema Devi, a resident of Godiyal village of Nainidanda, was taken to Nainidanda Health Center by her husband due to labor pain on Thursday. The nurse here, citing the lack of facilities and absence of doctors, asked the pregnant lady to shift to Kotdwar Base Hospital, which is 100 km away. The lady had no other option but to take a GMOU bus to the said hospital.

Unable to bear the pain anymore, at around 4.30 PM, Hema Devi delivered a baby on the bus with the help of female passengers. After her delivery, she was brought to Kotdwar Base Hospital in an ambulance. On medical examination, doctors concluded that both the mother and child are healthy.

The District Medical Officer, in his defense, said that three doctors have been posted at the Community Health Center in Nainidanda. One doctor had gone out for training and the other for a postgraduate course. The third doctor was on leave, due to which the woman was examined by a nurse.

However, this is not the first instance of medical inefficiency here. A woman from Godiyal village of Nainidanda was also forced to travel on a GMOU bus due to the lack of better health care facilities. This has created a stir in the medical department with many demanding a probe into the matter.