In a swift response, the Khammam Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel helped a pregnant Nepali woman passenger, who developed labour pains on board a festival special train, reach hospital quickly and deliver her baby under medical supervision here, in the wee hours of Thursday.
The pregnant woman, identified as Anita Devi, 30, experienced labour pains while travelling by the Yeshwantpur-Lucknow special train along with her mother-in-law and two children at around 3 a.m., sources said. The train made an unscheduled halt at the railway station in Khammam at 4.07 a.m.
The RPF head constable Pitambar along with woman constable Shivani on night duty immediately received the pregnant woman and her three family members soon after the train arrived at the platform number two. They swiftly shifted Anita into a waiting ‘108 ambulance’ on a stretcher. A woman RPF constable escorted the pregnant woman in the ambulance to the district headquarters hospital where the latter delivered a baby boy under the supervision of medical staff.
The RPF Inspector, Khammam, K Madhusudhan visited the Nepali woman and her newborn baby at the hospital. He handed over a kit containing clothes, napkins, diapers, baby soaps and powder to her. He discussed with the authorities concerned about the arrangements for their stay and sending them to Lucknow by a direct train on January 25, sources added.
In a similar timely gesture, the Khammam RPF personnel helped a pregnant woman passenger from Bihar, who delivered a baby in the toilet of a moving train, get timely medical assistance at the government hospital in Khammam in November, 2019.
The RPF team also has won wide appreciation for their child-rescue initiatives in collaboration with the Childline India Foundation’s district unit, local NGOs and the district administration.
A child help desk was set up at Khammam railway station as part of a slew of initiatives by the RPF to extend help for children in distress through the Childline 1098 helpline.