Woman Gives Birth on Trolley After Ambulance Delay in Odisha

Balasore: An expectant mother in Odisha’s Nilagiri area gave birth on a trolley rickshaw after the 108 ambulance service did not arrive in time.

Ranjita, the wife of Hemanta Kuanr, had travelled to her parents’ house in Ranikotha village to celebrate the Raksha Bandhan festival. However, around 8 PM that Sunday night, she began experiencing labour pains.

Her family members called the 108 ambulance service, but the ambulance did not arrive for several hours. They then decided to transport Ranjita to the nearest medical facility on a trolley rickshaw.

During the journey, Ranjita gave birth to a baby girl. Both mother and child were later admitted to the Nilagiri government hospital.

Jyoti Gochhayat, a relative of Ranjita, expressed their predicament, saying, “When she complained of labour, we called 108, but the driver mentioned it would take some time to reach our village. Given her severe condition, we couldn’t afford to take any risks and decided to transport her to the hospital on a trolley rickshaw. On the way, she gave birth to a baby girl right on the rickshaw.”

When asked about why Ranjita couldn’t access the free ambulance service, Sub Divisional Medical Officer (SDMO) Sarojini Pradhan suggested, “The ambulance driver might have been dispatched elsewhere to pick up another patient. The exact reason for his unavailability can only be determined after a thorough inquiry.”