In a state where emergency medical response is supposed to be just one phone call away, a woman in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandla city gave birth to four premature babies inside an auto-rickshaw while being taken to hospital. All four newborns died. The mother survived.
The incident took place on Tuesday, when 28-year-old Rajni Sindram, a resident of Naiganwa village, suddenly developed severe labour pain. Her family says they immediately called the 108 ambulance service. But according to them, help did not arrive on time.
As Rajni’s condition worsened, the family had no option but to place her in an auto-rickshaw and rush her to the Ghutas Primary Health Centre with the help of an ASHA worker. At Ghutas, doctors gave her initial treatment and referred her to the Bichhiya Community Health Centre for advanced care.
But the referral came too late for the unborn children. On the way to Bichhiya, before the auto-rickshaw could reach the hospital, Rajni delivered four babies one after another inside the vehicle.
The ASHA worker accompanying the family helped manage the crisis and ensured that Rajni was taken to the Bichhiya Community Health Centre. Doctors examined the newborns and declared all four dead.
Bichhiya BMO Dr Anoop Kumar Bharatiya said the delivery had already taken place before the woman reached the hospital. He said Rajni was around 30 weeks pregnant, or about seven months, and that the babies were premature and not fully developed. The mother was given emergency treatment and is now stable.
Rajni’s husband, Dhanesh Sindram, alleged that the delay in the 108 ambulance service forced them to take her to hospital in an auto-rickshaw.
“My wife was 6-7 months pregnant. We had to bring her in an auto-rickshaw because the ambulance was not available. She delivered on the way. All four babies were found dead, but my wife is fine,” he said.
ASHA worker Manto Singram said the labour pain started suddenly and the family informed her that they were bringing Rajni to hospital by auto-rickshaw. “She suddenly developed labour pain and delivered in the auto-rickshaw on the way. I received a call saying they were bringing her to the hospital by auto. I told them to bring her and said I would meet them on the way,” she said.
Hospital authorities say Rajni’s condition is now normal and her treatment is continuing. But the death of four newborns before reaching proper medical care has left behind a painful question if the ambulance had arrived on time, could this tragedy have been avoided.
