Odisha’s first delivery van for pregnant women in Kandhamal

To encourage institutional delivery and avoid delivery on the way to hospitals, Kandhamal district administration has introduced delivery van, touted as the first of its kind in Odisha.

The van is equipped with all necessary facilities for delivery of a child. At least two staff nurses, attendants and vehicle driver along with essential drugs and consumables have been provided to facilitate delivery of a woman in an emergency case.

At present, the delivery van will be stationed at the Community Health Centre in Phiringia. It will be extended to other areas in the district after seeing its success.

Besides the delivery van, two more bike ambulances and three janani auto-rickshaws for Daringibadi and Tumudibandha blocks were launched. The vehicle will carry the pregnant women to the hospital on a priority basis and the fare will be provided to the driver according to norms of the Government, sources said.

Earlier, the district administration had introduced three bike ambulances and 11 janani autos to carry pregnant women from remote places to the nearby hospitals. These vehicles are in addition to the existing Government ambulances like 108, 102, Arogya Plus and other vehicles. The district administration has also set up seven Maternity Waiting Homes (MWH) to promote institutional deliveries.

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