PMC to soon start two mobile maternity homes to help pregnant women deliver in the ambulance

The Pune municipal corporation (PMC) has decided to start two mobile maternity homes which will help pregnant women deliver in the ambulance if it is not possible to reach a hospital in the given time. 

The general body of the PMC has given the nod to purchase two mobile ambulances equipped to undertake delivery of pregnant women in ambulance if needed. Recently, a pregnant woman lost her baby in Yerawada as she was not able to reach the hospital in time for delivery. Many such cases have been recently reported in the city where either the baby or the mother died as they were not able to reach maternity homes on time. 

Women and child welfare committee president Rajshri Navale put the proposal in front of the standing committee and general body. The proposal got approved in the standing committee on August 24, 2018 and the general body of the PMC gave the nod to it on Friday (September 29). 

Navale said, “It might be the first mobile maternity home in Maharashtra where all the facilities related to delivery will be available. All parties supported the proposal submitted by the women and child welfare committee.” 

Navale said that the PMC did not have a budgetary provision for it in the present financial year, but since the general body had given the nod to it, soon budget would be allotted to it by transferring from other budgets. 

Navale said that PMC had erected the infrastructure of hospitals and maternity homes in the city. Mainly people from economically backward class are taking benefit of these facilities. 

She said that there are many incidences in the city wherein women are not able to reach the maternity home and delivered the baby either in private vehicles or autorickshaws. Considering this, the proposal had been forwarded. “These mobile maternity homes would be parked in the central part of the city, mainly at Kamla Nehru Hospital, Rajiv Gandhi Hospital or Kothrud. Once the message is received by these mobile ambulances, they will reach the patient for the delivery. If there is enough time, the patient would be taken to a hospital or the delivery would be carried out in the mobile maternity home,” said Navale.

Dr Ramchandra Hankare, health chief, Pune municipal corporation (PMC), said, “This is a very unique concept. The mobile delivery clinic will always be on the move. It is for those who find it hard to reach hospitals in time and often end up delivering babies in moving vehicles. However, now with this initiative, we aim at reducing complications in babies and mothers, bring down the rate of infection and also improve the rate of timely and safe deliveries of women.”

Besides this, even though it looks like a 108 ambulance initiative, this project is totally owned by us and will be run by the corporation. It will have its own call centre and a number where people can call for help. As of now two such vans will be on continuous move. This project is expected to be implemented soon in the city, said Hankare.

(Inputs by Nozia Sayyed)