A 28-year-old pregnant woman and her unborn twins died in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandla district after the woman could not reach hospital in time, with her husband alleging that a government ambulance was unavailable when he called for help.
Korrabu Padma’s case has raised concerns over emergency medical transport in rural areas, particularly for pregnant women with serious health conditions.
Husband alleges ambulance was unavailable
According to her husband, Pritam Nareti, his wife went into labour at around 4 pm on Tuesday. He said he contacted the 108 Janani Ambulance service but was allegedly told that no vehicle was available and that the family should arrange transport themselves.
The family then arranged a private vehicle to take her from Salaiya village to the Government Community Health Centre in Bijadandi.
The journey covered only around 2.5 kilometres, but approximately one kilometre of the route is reportedly unpaved and in poor condition, slowing the vehicle.
Padma was brought to the health centre at around 5.10 pm and was declared dead at 5.25 pm.
Woman was suffering from sickle cell disease
Medical officer Dr Akshay Hardaha said Padma had sickle cell disease and had been regularly visiting the health centre for check-ups. She had also previously been referred to hospitals in Mandla and Jabalpur.
Doctors found that both unborn babies had also died before reaching the hospital. A previous sonography had confirmed that Padma was carrying twins.
Sickle cell disease can reduce the supply of oxygen to tissues and organs and can cause serious complications. Pregnancy in women with the condition requires careful medical monitoring.
Questions over emergency transport
The family has alleged that the lack of an ambulance and the poor road contributed to the delay in reaching medical care.
Dr Hardaha said the 108 ambulance service is operated and allocated directly from Bhopal and that the local hospital does not control ambulance dispatch after a call is made.
The incident has nevertheless drawn attention to the importance of reliable emergency transport for pregnant women, particularly in rural communities.
For families facing a medical emergency, even a short distance can become critical when an ambulance is unavailable and roads are difficult to navigate.