Ahmedabad: A dedicated team of paramedical staff from 108 ambulance service overcame a challenging situation two days ago to save a mother and help her deliver a baby in the remote hills of Panchha village near Ambaji in Banaskantha district.
The team had received a distress call at around 8am regarding a woman in labour in Panchha village, a hilly area that could not be easily accessed by vehicles.
Upon learning from the woman’s relatives that it was impossible for an ambulance to reach the patient’s location, emergency medical technician Alka Kankodia and pilot Mahendra Purabia gathered essential equipment, including a stretcher and delivery kit, and proceeded on foot for nearly a kilometre to her house.
When they finally reached her, they found that her family was trying to get her to the ambulance on a makeshift stretcher. Kankodia examined her and found that her condition was critical, and an immediate on-site delivery was necessary.
After consulting with doctors at the Ahmedabad head office, the team proceeded with the delivery. The situation grew tense when they discovered that the umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby boy’s neck — a life-threatening complication for both mother and child. However, the skilled team successfully removed the cord and safely delivered the baby.
Following the delivery, the mother was placed on a cloth stretcher and carried to the ambulance with assistance from the pilot and family members, while Kankodia carried the newborn. Both mother and baby were safely transported to a hospital where they are currently receiving medical care. The operation was monitored by Baldev Rabari, EMRI 108 programme manager for Banaskantha and Patan and Nikhil Patel, supervisor.