Woman Gives Birth On Medical Team’s Boat Amid Raging Floods In Assam

A woman has given birth to a girl while being ferried to the nearest health centre on a boat amid raging floods in Assam, an official said on Friday.

Jahanara Begum was in full term of her pregnancy when she was being taken to Jhargaon PHC in Morigaon district on a boat by a medical team led by assistant block project manager of Sandahkaity rural PHC on Wednesday, when she went into labour and gave birth to a girl amid raging floods. Her husband was also accompanying her.

Paban Kumar Pator, doctor in-charge of Jhargaon PHC, and his team, had received Jahanara Begum and her newborn daughter after being brought to the shore and took them to the medical establishment.

“The woman was being ferried to the nearest PHC by a health team which was visiting affected areas and marooned people in need of medical help. Both the mother and the child are in good health,” Mr Pator told PTI from his motor boat while visiting deluge-hit areas on Friday.

“During floods, medical teams are routinely sent to various affected areas. We have now intensified our reach, concentrating on pregnant women, children and senior citizens,” the doctor said.

“We are trying to maximise our reach even among healthy people to ensure there is no outbreak of disease at a later stage,” Mr Pator said.

As of Thursday, 170 medical teams have been deployed across the state, including eight in Morigaon, as per a bulletin issued by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA).

There are 285 pregnant or lactating women in relief camps across the state, out of the total 39,338 inmates. More than 58,000 people have been affected by floods in Morigaon district so far.

Nearly 22 lakh people are reeling under floodwaters in 29 districts of the state. The toll in this year’s flood, landslide and storm stands at 62, while three persons are missing.