Bhubaneswar, Sept. 19: A day that could have brought joy and celebrations to Biranchi Hansbans's family, turned out to be one filled with almost unbearable grief.
Biranchi's wife and her newborn baby died today when the government ambulance her family called for allegedly did not show up in time for her to be taken to the hospital.
Early this morning, Dhania Hansbans, 35, a tribal, developed labour pain at Ghagudimal village in Kalayansinghpur block of Rayagada district, about 540 km from here. When the pain became unbearable, her family called up 108 and 102 (Jananai Surakshya Yojana) ambulance services around 6am.
Local residents said that after a wait of about two hours, when no ambulance had turned up, her family members, including Biranchi, 37, carried her to the community health centre at Kalyansinghpur, about six kilometres from the village, on a cot.
They had walked almost three kilometres when they spotted the ambulance, which then carried her to the heath centre where she gave birth to a baby boy. The baby died within minutes of birth. When after about the two-hour delay in availing health care services, Dhania's condition deteriorated, she was shifted to the Rayagada district headquarters hospital, about 40km from Kalyansinghpur, in another ambulance. Dhania, who has six-year-old son, died on the way to the hospital.
Chief medical district officer Ananda Padhy told The Telegraph: "I am away from the district headquarters to attend a public grievance meeting. But I am aware of the incident. I have ordered an inquiry. Once the report comes, action will be initiated."
Rayagada district sub-collector Muralidhar Swain, however, denied that the ambulance had not arrived on time. "The allegation that the ambulance did not reach on time is incorrect. We also made arrangements for sending the bodies of Dhania and her baby to their village," he said.
Swain added Dhania had been suffering from anaemia. She had been admitted to the hospital 10 days ago and had been given three bottles of blood. "We had asked her to stay in the hospital for some more time but she refused and went back to her village," Swain told The Telegraph.
The incident comes close on the heels of the incident in Kalahandi where Danna Majhi, a 48-year-old tribal man, had to carry the body of his wife for 16km because he did not get a mortuary van.
The Congress today held state-wide demonstrations highlighting the state government's failure to improve the health infrastructure in the state. The demonstration turned violent in Cuttack with Congress activists allegedly manhandling the additional district medical officer at City Hospital. Doctors on duty alleged they were roughed up by Congress workers.
Additional district medical officer Abhay Patnaik said: "A group of people entered my chamber and dragged me outside to the Congress's dharna venue. They also smashed furniture, computers and other property in my office."
Later, the doctors at the hospital launched a cease-work agitation to protest against the incident. Health services in the hospital including emergency services were affected by the doctors' agitation.
Chief district medical officer Prafulla Behera said: "All the doctors and officials at the hospital have launched a one-day cease work agitation. We will wear black badges tomorrow if no action is taken against the guilty."
Cuttack Nagar Congress Committee president Mohammad Moquim, however, denied that Congress activists had resorted to violence during their demonstration.
Pradesh Congress Committee president Prasad Harichandan said: "The state government is in a coma and health service in the state has collapsed."
The state BJP also organised demonstrations at four places, including Balangir and Jagatsinghpur. BJP leaders alleged that the state of health services had been exposed by the death of 19 children because of malnutrition at Nagada in Jajpur district.
However, state health minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak said: "The Opposition is in the habit of pointing fingers at us. We are stressing the strengthening medical infrastructure in the state"
Additional reporting by Vikash Sharma
