Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A 35-year-old pregnant woman delivered her baby while being carried on a cot across a river in Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara on Sunday.
She had to deliver the baby on cot after an ambulance failed to reach the rain-hit village on time. The residents say they face the same problem every monsoon.
A video of the incident is circulating widely on social media, which shows the villagers carrying her on a cot, moving through the river, while she remains in pain.
Watch the video below :
The Incident
The woman, identified as 35-year-old Savita Vishwakarma, started experiencing labour pains at her home in Lohri Mohalla of Hathoda Hiri village in Amarwara block on Wednesday evening. Her family immediately contacted the 108 ambulance service, but the vehicle could not enter the village as the only access road had been cut off by a swollen river.
With no transport available, villagers placed Savita on a cot and began carrying her on foot through the river. Before they could reach the other side, she went into advanced labour and gave birth during the journey.
After crossing the river, the family waited for medical help, but when the ambulance still did not arrive, they took the mother and her newborn to Amarwara Civil Hospital on a motorcycle.
Doctors at the hospital said both the mother and the baby are safe and in good health.
Villagers said around 20 families in the hamlet remain isolated during the rainy season because there is no bridge or all-weather road. They claimed repeated requests for better infrastructure have not been acted upon, forcing people to risk their lives whenever a medical emergency arises.
Residents also said schoolchildren have to cross the same river every day during the monsoon, while ambulances and other vehicles are unable to enter the village.
Health officials said they are looking into why the ambulance could not reach the patient. They added that the 108 ambulance service is managed from the Bhopal control room.
The incident has once again highlighted the challenges faced by people in remote villages during the monsoon, with locals renewing their demand for a bridge and a proper road to ensure timely access to emergency services.
