A pregnant woman in Meghalaya was carried by fellow villagers on a makeshift bamboo stretcher for nearly 7km to the nearest primary health centre (PHC) where she gave birth to twins.
According to details posted on social media by government officials and agencies to highlight the importance of institutional deliveries, the incident took place at Rongrong PHC in East Garo Hills district on Friday. The PHC is located around 94km from William Nagar, the district headquarters.
“Great determination shown by people from Gilmatdam village who carried a pregnant woman on a bamboo stretcher so that she can deliver at the hospital,” a Facebook status posted on Saturday by the official page of East Garo Hills deputy commissioner Sushil Tembe read.
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“It’s (the village) around 6 to 7km away from the PHC. She delivered healthy twins,” the post, with two photos, added. One of the photos showed a group carrying the pregnant woman on a stretcher and the other showed her with the newborn twins at the PHC.
The woman, Jingme Momin, 28, and her twins, a boy and a girl, were discharged from the PHC on Sunday.
{{/usCountry}}The woman, Jingme Momin, 28, and her twins, a boy and a girl, were discharged from the PHC on Sunday.
{{/usCountry}}According to another Facebook post by National Health Mission, Meghalaya, the woman and the fellow villagers had to cross the river on a bamboo raft to reach the Rongrong PHC.
“The road from the woman’s village to the PHC is usually motorable during the dry season. But it can’t be used by vehicles during monsoon. Plus, the bridge near the bazaar area is being repaired,” deputy commissioner Tembe informed.
“Villagers under Rongrong PHC, East Garo Hills, brought a pregnant woman by a bamboo raft to the health facility for institutional delivery,” NHM Meghalaya posted on Facebook on Friday.
“Beautiful are the lives saved by the bravehearts who are willing to take an extra step forward without raising any question or doubt their ability to shoulder the responsibility,” the post added praising the villagers who brought the woman to the PHC.
The social media posts have garnered lots of ‘likes’ and comments with most users lauding the efforts of the villagers while several others pointing out the need to have more healthcare centres and better roads and bridges connecting remote villages to hospitals.