Samaritan in true sense of the term

<p><img src="/userfiles/image/Samaritan.jpg" width="550" height="306" alt="" /></p>

<p><strong>Flood-ravaged woman delivers baby under over-phone medical advice from a doctor</strong></p>

<p>By our Staff Reporter<br />

GUWAHATI, August 4:&nbsp; Help from the invisible comes in every form. The help is the proof that the invisible does exist.<br />

Here is an account of an incident of child delivery in flood-ravaged Dhemaji district. The delivery in this case, which can be called a rescue, was done by one who is not a doctor by profession.<br />

Megh, an employee of &lsquo;Save the Children&rsquo;, an intertiol NGO working for child rights, was deployed in Dhemaji district to execute relief work in the region. She with her team was coming back from relief distribution. It was then she saw a women suffering from labour pain on her way to the hospital on foot.<br />

&ldquo;Our team saw a woman experiencing labour pain on her way to hospital on foot. The public healthcare centre was over 4 kilometres from that point. In addition, one has to cross four bridges and take a public transport to reach the centre. We then decided to carry her in our car to the centre. We made a stretcher out of bamboo and covered her with a blanket. We even tried to reach out to a doctor or an ASHA karmi, but in vain,&rdquo; Megha said, while talking to The Sentinel.<br />

&ldquo;Situation turned grim when the pregnt woman started screaming out of pain as she was about to deliver the baby. Other women in the area were also not experienced in helping her deliver the baby. We laid the stretcher on the ground and covered the spot with a bed sheet,&rdquo; an elated Megh said. &ldquo;I called my brother, who is a doctor to take his advice. I knew it was upon me to help her deliver the baby. I explained him the condition of the women over phone and sought his advice. I followed his instructions and steadily and carefully I helped her deliver the baby. It was a moment of joy and relief for everybody in the crowd. It was the proudest moment in my life. I prayed to God for the woman and the baby&rsquo;s health,&rdquo; she continued.<br />

&ldquo;We took the baby and the mother to the hospital. They are doing well, the doctor informed us,&rdquo; she added.<br />

&ldquo;Children, pregnt and lactating mothers are the most vulnerable in any disaster. This is a live example that one of our team had to deliver the baby on the road while he tried to extend support with our limited capacity. We believe sufficient arrangement has to be done by the government to address such a situation, especially in flood-prone areas,&rdquo; General Mager, Save the Children-State Proggramme, Chittapriyo Sadhu said.<br />

Save the Children is supporting around 2,500 families in worst-hit districts like Sonitpur, Dhemaji and Majuli with shelter kit, hygiene kit, solar lamp, tarpaulins, cotton blankets, floor mats rope etc., and initiating establishment of child-friendly spaces for uninterrupted playing and education for children. Rural Volunteer Centre, another NGO is working in collaboration with Save the Children in Dhemaji.</p>