In a moving display of human compassion and resilience, villagers in Kusum Sahi under Mohana block of Gajapati district carried a pregnant woman and her newborn on their shoulders after an ambulance failed to reach the area due to incessant rains and poor road connectivity.
According to reports, the cyclonic storm ‘Montha’ brought heavy rainfall to the region, cutting off several interior villages. On Tuesday night, a pregnant woman from Kusum Sahi went into labour. With no way to reach the hospital because of the damaged roads and rising water levels, she was forced to deliver her baby at home.
Early Wednesday morning, local Anganwadi and ASHA workers were informed and immediately contacted the 108 ambulance service. However, the ambulance could only reach up to the village as there was no motorable road connecting the two villages.
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Without waiting any longer, villagers stepped in to help. In an extraordinary act of solidarity, they carried the mother and her newborn on their shoulders for nearly two kilometres, navigating through muddy roads and even crossing a river on foot.
On reaching the riverbank, ambulance personnel joined the effort, carrying both the mother and child safely across the water to the vehicle. They were then taken to Mohana Medical Centre, where doctors confirmed that both the mother and baby are in good health.
“Her expected date of delivery was on December 8. We had only shifted expectant mothers with expected delivery within 15 days. Accordingly, we had admitted women expecting before or on Nov 10. All of them were admitted to Chandragiri CHC, Mohana Maa Gruha, Mohana Hospital, Adaba and Birkut PHC, in coordination with BDO and Tehsildar,” informed Jay Panda, medical in-charge, Mohana CHC.
“Since it was a pre-term delivery, our staff reached out to her and requested her to be admitted to a hospital. However, she denied admission earlier. Subsequently, she has now been admitted to Mohana CHC,” Panda added.
The incident once again highlights the critical need for better road connectivity and healthcare infrastructure in remote parts of Odisha, where people still depend on courage and community to overcome adversity.
