J&K doctors help woman deliver over Whatsapp call in snow-covered Keran

Srinagar: In a heartwarming incident, a pregnant woman with a history of labour complications gave birth to a baby girl with doctors assisting them via Whatsapp video call in the remote Keran PHC in Jammu and Kashmir.

The desperate attempt to save the woman and her child was taken after heavy snowfall blocked the only surface link connecting it to Kashmir which also made airlifting her impossible. Keran is a remote village in Kashmir’s Kupwara district.

Although the delivery was done with only the assistance of the professionals via video call and without proper maternity facilities at the Keran PHC (primary health centre), the baby came out healthy and the mother is doing fine as well.

“On Friday night, we received a patient in labour at the Keran PHC with a history of complicated delivery with eclampsia, prolonged labour and episiotomy,” Block Medical Officer of Kralpora Dr Mir Mohammad Shafi said.

An air evacuation was required to take the patient to a hospital with maternity facilities as Keran remained cut off from the rest of the Kupwara district during the winter.

Continuous snowfall on Thursday and Friday prevented the authorities to arrange an air evacuation, forcing the medical staff at the Keran PHC to look for an alternative way to assist in the delivery.

A gynaecologist in Kralpora subdistrict hospital, Dr Parvaiz, guided Dr Arshad Sofi and his paramedical staff at the Keran PHC over a WhatsApp call on the procedure to deliver the baby.

“The patient was induced (into labour) and after six hours a healthy baby girl was born. Currently, both the baby and the mother are under observation and doing fine,” Dr Shafi said.