ASHA worker felicitated for saving life of pregnant woman

BALURGHAT: The life of an expectant mother was saved by an ASHA worker in South Dinajpur who walked around 3 km in the dark of the night to reach a nearby BSF camp without getting the government ambulance service.

With the help of a BSF ambulance, the pregnant woman was taken to Tapan Rural Hospital. Although unfortunately the child could not be saved, the mother’s life was saved due to the health worker’s efforts. Sumitra Urao, the health worker, was felicitated by the district Health department of South Dinajpur in the presence of Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) Sudip Das on Monday evening.

The incident took place on August 29.

Urao tried to contact the government maternity van or 102 ambulance when the pregnant woman in that area was in labour.

It was alleged that no one agreed to come even after contacting them. Sumitra Urao said: “I tried to communicate with the health ambulance to admit the pregnant woman to an adjacent hospital but no one agreed to come. So I walked to the BSF camp at night by covering a distance of around 3 km. An ambulance brought the pregnant woman to the hospital. The woman was saved. I could have saved the unborn baby if I got the vehicle at the right time.”

CMOH Sudip Das said: “The mother’s life was saved by that health worker. It was not possible to save the child. If the BSF had not arranged an ambulance, there would have been a bigger danger.

We felicitated her for her indomitable effort. We will inquire why the government ambulance was not available in the area when contacted for assistance.”