In a dramatic rescue in Maharashtra's Palghar district, villagers turned a wooden door into a makeshift stretcher and waded through chest-deep floodwaters to carry a pregnant woman in labour to a hospital, ensuring a safe delivery. The woman later gave birth to a healthy baby boy at the Saphale Rural Hospital, and both mother and child are doing well, according to a hospital official on Wednesday.
Sudden Labour Amid Floods
Priyanka Ravi Yadav, a resident of Hanumanpada in the Maykhop area near Kelve Road, went into labour suddenly on Tuesday. With roads submerged and the village cut off due to heavy rains, calling an ambulance was impossible. As her family panicked, local ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) worker Divya Gharat and social worker Chetan Gawad rushed to her home and quickly mobilised a small team of villagers.
Improvised Rescue
Thinking on their feet, the team pulled out a wooden door from a nearby house, placed Yadav on it, and lifted it onto their shoulders before stepping into the flooded waters. They waded through chest-deep water, carefully balancing the stretcher, and crossed the flooded stretch to safely transport Yadav to the Saphale Rural Hospital, Gharat said.
"The situation was terrifying, and the water was rising rapidly. We knew we couldn't just sit and watch. The roads were gone, so we used what we could find - a house door - and moved as fast as we could through the water," Gharat said.
Safe Delivery
At the hospital, Yadav delivered the baby under the supervision of doctors. The hospital's medical officer, Dr Shubhangi Sanap, told PTI that both the mother and child were fine. A video of the rescue, showing villagers carrying the door-stretcher through floodwaters, has gone viral on social media, highlighting the community's quick thinking and bravery.
