Doctors, what doctors? Woman gives birth in an auto in Chhattisgarh

Photo courtesy: ANI

New Delhi: A woman gave birth in an autorickshaw in Chhattisgarh's Koriya - some 350 kilometres from the state capital of Raipur - due to non-availability of doctors.

The woman was taken to Koriya's Community Health Centre in an autorickshaw but once there, no doctor was available to help her with the procedure, according to news agency ANI. Family members ran all around in a bid to get the woman medical attention but their efforts failed. Unable to find help, several family members took it upon themselves to help her deliver the baby.

The incident once again shows the sorry state of medical set-up in the country - especially in states like Chhattisgarh. While doctors at government centres have, in the past, complained about being over-worked, patients are often left either neglected or with only basic diagnosis and treatment.

According to a WHO report, five women die each hour during childbirth in India. The report states 45,000 childbirth-related deaths occur here every year - accounting for 17 per cent of such deaths globally.

The situation is quite grim even in the premier All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) in New Delhi where staff has often cited a very high number of patients as the reason for not being able to provide proper and adequate care.