Passengers and staff assist in delivery as woman goes into labor on moving train in West Bengal

In a turn of events, a woman named Babli Bibi experienced the onset of labor while traveling on the Padatik Express from Sealdah to New Alipurduar. Quick thinking from both fellow passengers and train staff led to the transformation of a general compartment into an improvised delivery room, ensuring the safe arrival of the newborn.

As reported by India Today, the train was nearing Malda in West Bengal when Babli Bibi went into labor, prompting an urgent call for assistance. Responding to the distress call, a medical team from the District Railway Hospital (DRH) in Malda promptly arrived to lend their expertise in the delivery process.

Executing a successful cord division and placental delivery while the train was still in motion, the medical team facilitated the safe birth of a baby girl. Following the delivery, both mother and newborn were promptly transferred to a nearby hospital for further care and observation.

This remarkable incident harks back to a similar event in Andhra Pradesh's Anakapalle district, where another woman received aid during labor aboard the Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam Duronto Superfast Express.

Recalling the incident, K Swathi Reddy, who was onboard and had completed her MBBS, shared her experience. "I was in a deep sleep when a person woke me up at around 4.30 am. He told me that his pregnant wife was suffering from labor pain and asked me whether I could extend any help. He didn’t know that I was a medico, as he was requesting other women too in the compartment to come to his wife’s rescue."

Reddy, equipped only with a bottle of Betadine surgical solution for sterilization, relied on her medical knowledge to assist in the delivery. Despite the lack of proper equipment such as surgical instruments and warm water, Reddy managed to facilitate a smooth delivery for Satyavathi, the mother-to-be.

However, due to the constraints of the environment, Reddy was unable to cut or clamp the umbilical cord or provide warm water for the newborn. "There was not even warm water to clean the baby or keep the baby in a warm condition as it was an air-conditioned compartment. All that I could do was to wrap the baby in three or four warm clothes," she said.

The couple, Satyanarayana and Satyavathi from Ponnam village in Vizianagaram district, were en route from Hyderabad to their native place when this miraculous journey unfolded.