Villagers carry woman on makeshift stretcher to PHC

SHILLONG: Exposing the stark reality of the paucity of healthcare services yet again, a pregnant lady was, on Friday, carried on a makeshift stretcher for kilometres to a Primary Health Centre (PHC) in East Garo Hills.
Hailing from Dimbil village in East Garo Hills, the lady with the help of the villagers was finally able to deliver the baby at Songsak PHC.
“Salute to people of Dimbil village for carrying a pregnant woman on a makeshift stretcher to the point where vehicle could reach so that she could deliver the baby at Songsak PHC. Both the mother and baby are doing well,” East Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Swapnil Tembe said.
Stating that remoteness of the area and deplorable road conditions force women to give birth at home, the DC said, “For such cases, we will ensure that a skilled birth attendant goes to the house and supervises the delivery to ensure proper hygiene and procedure”. “This will further help us to reduce maternal mortality rate,” he added.
Earlier this month, a pregnant woman from Gilmatdam village was carried on a bamboo stretcher for nearly 7 km to the nearest PHC.
This had caught the attention of the Assembly Committee on Women Empowerment, who later requested the state government to ensure proper healthcare.
Following this, the Committee called for giving top priority to healthcare for women and children.