KOCHI: Kollam native Shahina, who had arrived from Saudi Arabia aboard the Dammam-Kochi flight on Tuesday, delivered a healthy baby girl through C-section at the Medical College Hospital (MCH), Kalamassery on Wednesday. Shahina is one of the many thankful beneficiaries of India’s Vande Bharat Mission, which is focusing its energies on repatriating the nation’s most affected citizens stuck in various corners of the globe, and is drawing accolades from all quarters for excellent planning and meticulous execution of operations.
Shahina, who was in full term of her pregnancy when being evacuated, was accompanied on the flight by her two elder children, aged six and two. Her husband, Ahmed Kabir, is working in Saudi Arabia. On landing at Cochin Airport, Shahina felt unwell and was rushed in an ambulance to the MCH by health workers. Subsequently, an emergency C-section was undertaken by a team led by Dr Radha, Head of the Gynaecology Dept at MCH, and comprising Dr Anju Vishwanath and Dr Anil Kumar. Shahina and her children were also tested for Covid, and the test results were negative.
Shahina is the second woman in Kochi to deliver a baby soon after arrival, post-evacuation from Covid-affected countries. Recently, a woman from Thrissur, who was evacuated from the Maldives, delivered a baby boy soon after arrival at Kochi. Much credit to these rare occurrences of happy news in the present times can be given to foresight of the planners, including the state government, which had mandated that pregnant women be given preference during evacuation.
On landing at Cochin Airport, Shahina felt unwell and was rushed in an ambulance to the MCH by health workers. Subsequently, an emergency C-section was undertaken by a team led by Dr Radha, Head of the Gynaecology Dept at MCH