Kamakshyanagar: A 26-year-old woman tribal woman became the first woman from her village in Odisha to give birth at a hospital.

Baishakhi Dehury from tribal-dominated Kourt village, delivered a girl child at the Kamakshyanagar sub divisional hospital on April 7,

She was affected by jaundice and the new born child was also found to be jaundice-positive, reports thestatesman.com.

According to hospital staff, the woman had to travel on a bicycle. She was carried on shoulders by a few members of the village for some distance after which she could avail an ambulance.

Villagers as well as doctors said that since Independence, she is the first woman of the inaccessible tribal village who had preferred institutional delivery with support of health staff.

The hospital staff could not provide regular health services as it was inaccessible for any vehicle without any road facility. But Baishakhi was motivated and it shows that awareness of institutional delivery has percolated to the remotest corners, said the doctors.

Both mother and child were found to be in critical condition post delivery. Doctors prescribed a Hepatitis injection in 24 hours time for which a team had to be rushed to Cuttack.

Now both mother and child are safe now, doctors at Kamakshnagar said.

Baishakhi told the hospital staff that women in her village do not go for institutional delivery as there is no road connectivity to Ekul Sekhul and Kourt or the adjacent villages under Kantole gram panchayat. There are only forests, mountains and wild animals all over the place, she said.

Baishakhi’s case has set the health administration into action. Directives were issued to the nearest Primary Health Centre to ensure that a medical team with paramedical staff visits the gram panchayat at least twice a month for regular immunization and essential health services.

Villagers urged the health administration to also depute a team to check on jaundice cases at their village and pointed out that people use natural stream water sources. There is no drinking water facility, no tube well in the area, they said.

Baishakhi, on her part, is now entitled to get 5000 rupees under the Mamata Yojana (maternal love project).