Ambulance unavailable, woman loses quadruplets after delivering in autorickshaw in Madhya Pradesh

2 min readBhopalUpdated: Jul 8, 2026 02:57 PM IST

Although doctors maintained that the newborns died since they were premature, the family has alleged that the lack of ambulance led to the deaths. (Express file photo)

A woman from Madhya Pradesh’s Mandla district gave birth to quadruplets inside an autorickshaw while being rushed to a hospital, allegedly after she was unable to get an ambulance in time. All four premature newborns died shortly after birth.

The incident occurred on Tuesday in Naiganwa village under Bichhiya block. According to the family, 28-year-old Rajni Singram developed severe labour pain during the seventh month of her pregnancy. They said they first contacted the 108 ambulance service, but when no vehicle arrived, they arranged a private vehicle to take her to the Ghutas Primary Health Centre.

After initial treatment, doctors referred her to the Community Health Centre (CHC) at Bichhiya. However, before the autorickshaw could reach the hospital, Rajni delivered the four babies inside the vehicle.

Doctors at the CHC declared all four newborns dead on arrival. Rajni was admitted for treatment and is reportedly stable.

Speaking to the local media, Rajni said they left home at 8 am. She said the newborns included three boys and one girl.

Her husband, Dhanesh, alleged, “My wife was six to seven months pregnant. Since no ambulance was available, we had to take her in an autorickshaw. She delivered on the way, and four of our babies died.”

Bichhiya Block Medical Officer Dr Anoop Kumar Bharti said the woman was around 30 weeks pregnant and the babies were born prematurely.

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“The delivery had already taken place before the patient reached the hospital. The newborns were premature, underdeveloped and had very low birth weight. The mother was given immediate treatment and is now stable,” he said.

Senior health officials at the Mandla district hospital said the babies weighed around 1.5 kg each and died due to complications arising from premature birth.

The family, however, insisted that timely ambulance services and quicker access to specialised medical care could have improved the newborns’ chances of survival.

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Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy.

Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free.

Expertise and Reporting Beats

Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors:

National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres.

Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA).

Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking.

Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers.

Professional Background

Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017.

Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh.

Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs.

Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife.

Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance.

Digital & Professional Presence

Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express

Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More

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