In May 2025, a 24‑year‑old tribal woman named Santabai Barela from a remote area in Vaijapur village, Jalgaon district, was compelled to deliver her baby on the side of a public road, an incident that raised serious concerns about emergency healthcare and ambulance availability in the region.
According to local residents and video footage shared widely on social media, Santabai began experiencing intense labour pains on May 21, several days before her due date of May 25. Her husband, Viswanath, attempted to get her to the nearby Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Bormadhi village for medical assistance. However, the family said that no ambulance arrived despite repeated calls, forcing Viswanath to take her on his motorcycle toward the PHC.
As their journey progressed and her pain worsened, Santabai was unable to reach the health centre. About 1.5 km from the PHC, she went into active labour and delivered her baby on the roadside. A short video from the scene shows Santabai being assisted in the delivery by two women — reportedly a midwife and an Aanganwadi worker — while others held a blanket to provide some privacy.
District authorities, including the Jalgaon District Collector Ayush Prasad, acknowledged the incident but offered slightly different details. Officials said that the midwife and Anganwadi worker were accompanying Santabai and helped deliver the child when her labour progressed quickly. Prasad added that local citizens informed the PHC about the situation, after which an ambulance was dispatched to take the mother and newborn to the health centre.
Meanwhile, local political leader Pratibha Shinde (Congress) highlighted gaps in the public health system, asserting that the delivery had taken place on the road because no ambulance or timely medical help arrived for the tribal woman. Shinde said the incident exposed shortcomings in emergency healthcare coverage despite Jalgaon having several ministers in the state government.
Following the uproar, authorities ordered an inquiry through the district health officer and civil surgeon to investigate the circumstances leading up to the roadside delivery and whether proper procedures were followed. Both the mother and her newborn were reported to be in good health after being taken to the health facility.