COIMBATORE: The Tamil phrase 'prasavathirkku ilavasam' (free service for pregnant women) was demonstrated when autorickshaw driver-cum-novelist M Chandrakumar -- better known as Auto Chandran -- helped deliver a baby after a woman developed severe labour pain along the roadside in Coimbatore.
Chandran, whose bestselling novel 'Lockup' was adapted into the Tamil film 'Visaranai', helped the woman deliver the baby and held it until the '108' ambulance arrived near Manis Theatre on Thursday morning.
After arriving, the emergency medical technician (EMT) asked Chandran to firmly hold the placental cord so that they could cut and clip it. Both mother and baby were rushed in an ambulance to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH).
While many others including several women stood watching and some even recorded videos on their mobile phones, Chandran wasted no time in helping the pregnant mother.
The author of eight novels, Chandran said, "I have seen quite a few child deliveries throughout my life. I even happened to write a short story called 'Azhagu' in 2013 which was my first-person account of watching a child delivery in my auto in the 90s. So, I rushed to the spot on Thursday morning to help her."
The mother of the baby is a 26-year-old from Odisha who works in an educational institution here.
"After I knew the mother is going to deliver, I made her sit on the ground. Then, I held the baby as it came out without any difficulty. Later, I held the baby upside down to make it cry. These are some procedures followed by old-timers to help pregnant women deliver at a time when they are in dire need of help," Chandran added.
CMCH Dean (in-charge) P Kalidas said the health condition of both mother and child is stable. The placenta cord was removed after they were brought to the hospital. They are out of danger, he added.
S Selvamuthukumar, programme manager of GVK EMRI, said they received the call from the patient at 10.49 am on Thursday and the team reached the spot at 11.13 am. He said the woman gave birth at 11.09 am.
The video clip showing Chandran helping the woman deliver the baby has gone viral on social media.