Rudraprayag: A shocking lapse in health services came to light when a pregnant woman in severe labour pain gave birth inside a broken-down ambulance in Rudraprayag district. The ambulance, which was taking her to the hospital, malfunctioned midway, forcing her to deliver before another vehicle could arrive.
According to reports, Neema Devi, a resident of Bhatgaon (Nagarasu), experienced labour pains around 2 a.m. on Thursday night. Her family immediately called the 108 ambulance service, which reached the spot quickly. However, about two kilometres from Nagarasu, near Shivanandi, the ambulance suddenly broke down. While another ambulance was called, it took nearly an hour to arrive. In that time, Neema Devi gave birth inside the stranded ambulance. Both mother and newborn are safe and have been admitted to the Rudraprayag District Hospital.
Local representative and area panchayat member Satish Rana expressed strong dissatisfaction over the incident, saying that frequent ambulance breakdowns expose the poor state of healthcare in the district. He added that the demand for a gynecologist at the Nagarasu Primary Health Centre has been pending for a long time without any action.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ram Prakash said that a proposal for 20 new ambulances has been sent to the state government. Currently, Rudraprayag district has 12 ambulances, out of which only eight are operational.
This is not the first time ambulance malfunction has disrupted emergency care. In July, an ambulance heading to rescue accident victims on the Chopda-Gadhidhar road also broke down just 300 metres before reaching the site. Such repeated incidents raise serious questions about the fitness and maintenance of ambulances. Local leader Satish Rana alleged that fitness checks are often mere formalities, putting public safety at risk.
