KAKINADA: In a terrible indictment of our health system, a tribal woman delivered her own baby by tearing open her womb with a blade when she couldn’t reach a hospital in time.
The incident took place on December 23 in Maredumilli mandal, the agency area in East Godavari district. It highlights the poor medical facilities in the area.
According to sources, the tribal woman K. Lakshmi, 30, and her husband Seethanna Dora started walking to the government hospital at Rampachodavaram from her village Kintukuru in Maredumilli mandal. Rampachodavaram is the nearest place to the village than Maredumilli mandal headquarters.
Rampachodavaram is 10 km, but people have to to cross ghats and hills to reach the main or the ghat road where there are chances of getting an ambulance to take them to Rampachodavaram.
On the way, her contractions began and she had no option but to deliver the baby by using a blade. The child survived and later Lakshmi’s husband informed 108 ambulance service with the help of local people. She was admitted to the hospital in Rampachodavaram.
This is said to be her fifth delivery. “We have given better medical services to her and also the baby. We advised her and her relatives to stay in the hospital for some more days, but they absconded from the hospital,’’ said the medical officer of the hospital Dr Gowtham Jogi.
He said that tribal people have been told to come to the hospital 10 days before the expected delivery time so that they can avail of facilities like food and waiting rooms. There are allegations that health workers failed to bring Lakshmi to the nearest government hospital for her delivery.
District medical and health officer Dr K. Chandraiah said that it was a common practice for tribal women in the agency area to make such self-deliveries. He said that health workers have been instructed to create awareness among the people about safe institutional deliveries. He said that he would inquiry into the matter.
