Wahid Rafeeqi

Bandipora, Jan 28 (KNS): A family kf Bandipora today accused the Health Department of refusing to ferry a pregnant women in ambulance to the hospital leading to the death of their newborn baby.
The family of the uphill village of Haudbal accused the ambulance driver of SDH Bandipora refusing to ferry their daughter in law to the hospital after she developed labour pain.

A pall of gloom has descended on the family after loosing their newly born baby.

"I swear upon Allah that my son has cried like a child when the ambulance didn't arrive while my daughter-in-law was screaming in pain," Reshma, grandmother of the deceased baby said.

"The tragedy which befell on us has broken us from inside as I had  brought new clothes and sweets for the baby", she told KNS correspondent.

Recalling the fateful day, she said, " My daughter in law was crying with labour pain. We called a local ambulance driver residing a kilometre from the village, but despite repeated calls the driver didn't bother to arrive. He told us that he won't be able to come due to uncleared snow on the roads."

She said that her son made frantic calls to everyone even to the health department officials.

"At 2:pm the snow was cleared from the road but still the ambulance driver didn't come," the family said.

Later, the family said a DDC member offered them help.

"We somehow reached to the hospital at 4:00 pm where doctors immediately operated upon her and baby boy was born, but he died within few minutes ," father of the deceased baby, Muhammad Shafi told KNS.

The family quoted doctors that baby could have been saved if they had come earlier.
   
The careless attitude of the health department has cost me my grandsons' life and even my daughter-in-law was subjected to humiliation and risk to her life too," Reshma said.

The villagers accused health department of subjecting them to humiliation always.

A village panch said thag ambulance drivers say they don't claim receive stipend and fuel from the department. 
Meanwhile when KNS  contacted Block Medical Officer Bandipora  Dr Masrat, he said, " As far my knowledge about the case is concerned. we deputed a separate ambulance to ferry the patient to hospital still i will investigate the matter thoroughly ,whosoever  found guilty will be dealt strictly according to the law." (KNS).