Chennai: The 102 helpline was launched by Chief Minister this June to help pregnant mothers and new mothers reach government hospitals and health centres for regular maternity check-ups.
But the service is failing to serve its purpose as its ambulances are not being provided for non-emergency needs. While the project was launched to distinguish it from 108 emergency service to help people from suburban and rural areas to reach nearest government hospitals and district headquarters for medical aid for pregnant women and new mothers, special vehicles seem out of sight even at maternity hospital in Egmore.
Women who have to visit government hospitals rue that they have to shell out more than Rs 1,000 every month for their visits to hospitals during pregnancy or for vaccination after pregnancy.
“Even after requesting for ambulance, I was denied the service saying it’s available for only emergency cases. I have to depend on public transport along with my three-month old infant for routine check-up and vaccinations to the government hospital every month,” said G. Reshma, a new mother at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH).
Though higher officials handling the project had stated before the launch of the service that nursing mothers can book it individually by dialling 102 in non-emergency cases, a personnel in-charge of booking seeking anonymity said, “We do not provide ambulance in non-emergency situations but only for immediate abortions, labour pain and other emergencies during pregnancies. We drop back patients only if hospital authorities ask for the service.”
Though officials claimed that at least 50 bookings are made daily and more than 1,200 bookings were made last month in Chennai as per the records, government hospital authorities remained unaware of the service in non-emergency cases.
When contacted, health secretary J. Radhakrishnan assured he would take up the issue with the project manager to provide the services for needy women.
