By Special Correspondent
Bhopal/Vidisha: A pregnant woman being forced to give birth on a roadside in Vidisha district, shielded by a tarpaulin and assisted only by torchlight amid biting cold, is not an unfortunate accident but a stark indictment of Madhya Pradesh’s public health system. The woman reportedly failed to receive timely assistance from either the 108 ambulance service or the Janani Express, with emergency health services remaining inactive through the night.
Despite the presence of hospitals and doctors on paper, the system was conspicuously absent on the ground. This incident raises serious questions for the state government, which routinely promotes claims of “accessible, empowered and sensitive” healthcare through advertisements and official statements. If Madhya Pradesh is projected as a “health model”, why was a woman compelled to deliver under the open sky?
While the government asserts that thousands of crores are spent annually on health services and that the 108 ambulance operates round-the-clock, ground realities in rural areas suggest otherwise. Either official claims are misleading, or corruption and negligence have hollowed out the system.
Madhya Pradesh Congress state spokesperson Praveen Dhaulpure has demanded an independent, time-bound inquiry, fixation of responsibility on ambulance services, the CMHO and concerned officials, and strict punitive action. He also sought an explanation from the Health Minister on why budgetary spending is failing to translate into real benefits. The child born under torchlight, he said, stands as a living charge sheet against the government’s claims of development and compassionate governance.
