With snowfall ruling out the possibility of airlift, a pregnant woman who had a history of labour complications in the remote Keran in Jammu and Kashmir was assisted by doctors in delivering a healthy baby over a WhatsApp call.
"On Friday night, we received a patient in labour at the Keran PHC (primary health centre) with 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 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.
