A pregnant tribal woman in North Dinajpur delivered her baby in an e-rickshaw on Sunday morning as her family members couldn’t get an ambulance from the state health ambulance service supposed to be provided free of cost in such cases.

The incident made many residents of the area questioning if such a free ambulance service at all exists in the district. The BJP has also picked up the issue and held protests on Monday.

Sources said around 3am on Sunday, Kalabati Nagbanshi, a homemaker of Korapara village in Hemtabad block, around 18km from Raiganj, complained of labour pain.

“We realised we would have to take her to the block primary health centre, some 5km away from our home, for her delivery. I called up 102 (the helpline number for free ambulance service) several times but there was no response. After some time, as I tried again, someone picked up the call and said the ambulance could not reach our village because of dense fog cover,” Prashanta Kora, Kalabati's husband, said.

The helpless family members arranged an e-rickshaw to head for the block primary health centre in Hemtabad.

“We were late trying for an ambulance. On the way to the health centre, my wife delivered a girl child in the e-rickshaw,” he added.

The newborn and the mother were taken to the health centre. Both of them were admitted and given the necessary healthcare.

“It is disappointing that despite elaborate announcements by the state health department, we poor people can't get an ambulance during an emergency,” said a Korapara resident.

On Monday, a group of BJP supporters, led by Biplab Sarkar, the block party president, reached in front of the health centre and launched a protest, shouting slogans against the health administration and demanding immediate steps against all those associated with the free ambulance service in the district.

“The block health administration should reply why the ambulance service, an emergency service, has stopped in the block,” said Sarkar.

A team from Hemtabad police station reached the spot and managed to persuade the BJP supporters to stop their demonstration.

Ansarul Haque, the block medical officer of health in Hemtabad, however, denied the BJP’s charges.

“The 102-dial ambulance service is operational. We don’t know why the ambulance didn’t reach the patient’s home. We are conducting an inquiry. If negligence is found, steps will be taken,” the official said.