In another instance of apathy on the part of healthcare authorities, a pregnant woman had to deliver a baby outside a Government hospital here on Sunday due to unavailability of services in time.
And the woman lost her newborn baby after she went to another hospital for post-delivery treatment.
The incidence took place at the Primary Health Centre (PHC) at Gurudijhatia under Athagarh sub-division in Cuttack district.
Kuni Maharana, wife of Prashant Maharana of Khamara Nuagaon in Athagarh had been brought to the PHC in morning when she had labour pain. As the hospital gate was closed, she delivered the baby under a tree in its premises.
The woman’s husband said, “We had come to the hospital yesterday for a checkup of my wife. The doctor attending to her conducted an ultrasound and asked us to come after four days. As she complained of labour pain today morning, we had to rush her to the hospital and found the gate was closed and no doctor was present.”
The mother and the baby were taken by a 108 ambulance to the Community Health Centre (CHC) at Berhampur in Athagarh, where the newborn was declared dead. The condition of mother was stated to be critical.