BHUBANESWAR: Kendrapara’s ASHA worker Sibani Mandal undertook a mission to leave no one behind. And she did it with aplomb.
On Thursday when her village Khasmunda near Talachua, which bore the brunt of cyclone Dana, witnessed chaotic scenes with people being shifted to storm shelters, Sibani saw an elderly woman with paralysed limbs stranded in her hut. Living alone, the woman was unable to move out.
Tasked with the responsibility of looking after the health of people shifted by the local administration, the ASHA worker decided to carry the old woman on her back to the cyclone shelter which was 1.5 km away.
This was not the only instance when Sibani decided to put her responsibility before her own safety on the day. Before the winds became stronger and rains battered the riverside village located within Bhitarkanika National Park, she carried seven elderly persons on her back and helped a pregnant woman and a new mother with her baby reach the cyclone shelter safely.
Her dedication in ensuring ‘zero casualty’ in her village has earned the respect of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and deputy chief minister Pravati Parida.
Taking to his X handle, the chief minister in a post said Sibani’s efforts in protecting people from the cyclonic storm were commendable and she was an inspiration for all. He also spoke to the ASHA worker on Friday and enquired about her well-being.
After knowing that she does not have a house of her own, Majhi directed the Rajnagar block development officer to provide her one.
“Even after the evacuation drive, some elderly persons were reluctant to move to the cyclone shelter because they were alone and had no one to take them to the facility. Since there was no help around, I decided to shift the seven old persons to the shelter. One of them had her feet amputated due to diabetes and was living alone,” said 53-year-old Sibani who is working in Rajnagar community health centre since 2006.