Odisha doctor Omkar Hota’s story inspires Kareena Kapoor Khan to help mothers in need

Dr Hota had made headlines for taking an arduous 10-km journey on foot carrying a woman who had just given birth and was bleeding profusely.
Kareena Kapoor Khan with Dr Hota and others (Express Photo)
Kareena Kapoor Khan with Dr Hota and others (Express Photo)

NEW DELHI: The inspiring story of Dr Omkar Hota, a physician from the tribal hinterland of Odisha’s Malkangiri district, moved Bollywood diva Kareena Kapoor Khan so much that she made a firm commitment to visit such places to experience what the mothers are going through and help them come out of the agony.

Dr Hota had made headlines for taking an arduous 10-km journey on foot carrying a woman who had just given birth and was bleeding profusely. He had put her on a cot and helped her husband trek for over three hours through a hilly terrain to reach the nearest hospital on October 31 last.

“The story of Dr Hota embedded in my mind and heart. I don’t think my soul will rest in peace if I don’t make it to the field,” Kareena said at an event organised at New Delhi by Unicef for celebrating mothers and newborns to mark the Mother’s Day on Sunday.

She was all praise for him. “We are actors, but you are the real hero. You are an angel for the community you are serving. Your contribution to the society is just exceptional,” she said.The Unicef celebrity advocate said every mother, rich or poor, needs a safe pair of hands while delivering her child. It is the support of family that a woman needs when she is expecting, she added.

Describing her side of the story, Kareena said just after giving birth to Taimur, she was exhausted and tired. With her eyes half shut, she asked Saif (Saif Ali Khan) to put their son on his chest and give him Kangaroo love and care. “When a mother is recuperating from the pain during delivery, the father should step in to provide baby the required warmth,” she said.

Kareena highlighted the need for gender equality and quality which, she claimed, is next frontiers for newborn’s survival. “We need to look after our girls like our boys. It is incredibly sad that baby girls do not always get the same care mothers give to boys,” she said. On breastfeeding, Kareena, known for her size zero figure, said when a woman gives birth to a child, she does not think about her figure and at that moment, only the health of the baby comes to mind. Breast milk is so crucial and important that no mother can compare breastfeeding with her figure, the popular actress maintained.

Deputy representative of Unicef India Henriette Ahrens appreciated the efforts of the Government and investment towards universal health coverage and said it is well reflected under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Unicef chief of health Dr Gagan Gupta said India has shown good progress in reduction of child mortality. But more efforts are needed to reduce neonatal deaths and bridge the gender gap, he added.

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The New Indian Express
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