Pune: A woman’s video of delivering a baby on the roadside in Jalgaon district in circulation on social media cast serious posers on medical facilities in rural Maharashtra, giving Opposition an ammo to launch an attack on state govt.Rohini Khadse, the state working president of the women’s wing of NCP (SP), said, “Three ministers in this govt are from Jalgaon. Yet, people of the district have to suffer in such a manner, which is quite shameful. It shows that the govt has failed in providing basic healthcare facilities in the rural parts of the state. The govt boasts of starting the Ladki Bahin scheme, but it could not provide an ambulance to one such ladki bahin when she needed it the most.“The widely circulated video was shot a few days ago in Chopda tehsil. According to villagers and NGO workers, the woman was experiencing severe labour pain and needed to be taken to a healthcare facility. Her husband tried to take her to the healthcare facility on his two-wheeler because the ambulance did not reach their house despite repeated calls. The woman could not bear the pain on the way and delivered the baby at the side of the road with the help of local women in the area. Lok Sangharsh Morcha member Pratibha Shinde said, “The woman is from Bormali village. It is quite sad that the health department officials did not send an ambulance to take her to the healthcare facility in an emergency situation. Her husband had to take her on a bike for nearly 8km, and midway, she had to deliver the baby on the road.”Shinde said, “The govt has been claiming that they provide all the facilities in rural areas, but this incident has exposed the false claim. It also shows the need for improvement in the healthcare system in the state on a priority basis.”The district administration admitted the facts shown in the video and initiated an inquiry. Jalgaon district collector Ayush Prasad said, “This incident is unfortunate. The ambulance was available, and the road to the village was motorable. Such an incident happened because of some mismanagement. Taking serious cognisance of it, we have initiated the inquiry. We are also taking steps to ensure such incidents do not happen in the future.
