21yo pregnant woman dies en route to higher health facility

Dehradun: An eight-month pregnant woman from Nandoli, Paurikhal, died on Saturday while being transported to Srinagar Base Hospital for advanced treatment. She had been referred after initial care at Hindolakhal community health centre (CHC) in Tehri proved insufficient.Her husband Sunil Kumar, a mason, said Arti Devi, 21, experienced severe abdominal pain around 3am on Saturday and was admitted locally before being referred. "Her pregnancy was normal, but her condition suddenly worsened and she needed advanced care," he said.Locals expressed concern, noting similar recent deaths: a woman who fell from a bus and was taken to Hindolakhal CHC and another pregnant woman who slipped on the stairs of her house and was taken to Devprayag CHC -- both of whom died after being referred to higher centres.Tehri chief medical officer Dr Shyam Vijay Singh said, "Every month, around two dozen deliveries and emergencies are handled effectively by these CHCs, but sometimes 1 in 1,000 cases requiring specialised care are referred to Srinagar Base Hospital, 40 km away, or district hospital Tehri, 80 km away.""Arti had gestational blood pressure followed by fits and fissures, leading to criticality in her case and ultimately requiring specialised care, just like the other two cases where women were referred to higher centres as they needed all experts' hands under a single roof," Singh added.Meanwhile, Uttarakhand health minister Dhan Singh Rawat on Sunday announced that till April 15, ultrasonography will be conducted for all pregnant women in six priority districts by the department, with free transportation facility and enhanced antenatal care protocols.