Sidhi: A newborn baby died minutes after birth when a pregnant woman was forced to travel to the hospital on a hand cart due to the unavailability of an ambulance in Sidhi district in Madhya Pradesh, sparking outrage and prompting government action.
The incident occurred just two kilometres from the district headquarters when Urmila Rajak went into labour. Despite multiple calls for an ambulance, the service failed to arrive, forcing her family to resort to transporting her on a hand cart. Unable to reach the hospital in time, Rajak gave birth on the cart, but the newborn died shortly after.
Videos of the incident circulating on social media have triggered widespread criticism of the state's healthcare system. Opposition Leader Umang Singhar highlighted the tragedy on social media platform X, questioning the state of healthcare in the Health Minister's home district.
"If this is the condition in the Health Minister's home district, one can imagine the situation across the state," Singhar wrote.
In response to the incident, Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla ordered immediate action. The government has imposed financial penalties on the ambulance service provider, deducting one month's operational expenses for three ambulance vehicles, totalling Rs 4,56,917.
"The priority of the government is to provide quick and accessible health services. Any kind of negligence is unacceptable," Shukla stated.
Local health officials have been directed to conduct a thorough investigation into the ambulance service's failure to respond.
