Baramulla, Aug 13: When 18-year-old Gulshana Bano went into advanced labour deep inside a forest in Hamam Markot – a remote village in the Rafiabad area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district – her family had little choice but to seek urgent medical help.
The nearest 108 ambulance could reach only as far as the road; what followed was an eight-kilometre trek by the emergency team to reach her.
The distress call was received at the 108 Emergency Response Centre at 10:24 am on August 12 regarding the expectant mother in Hamam Markot, Tehsil Dangiwacha in Baramulla. The nearest available ambulance from SDH Rohama was immediately dispatched to the location.
The ambulance reached the accessible road point near Hamam Markot at around 11:05 am. However, the habitation was located deep inside the forest and was inaccessible by road.
Instead of turning back, the on-duty team, comprising EMT Bilal Ahmad Mir and pilot Mudasar Ahmad Sheikh, picked up a stretcher and essential emergency medical equipment and continued on foot.
Project Head of 108 Emergency Medical Services, Mushtaq Ahmed, said the team covered nearly eight kilometres through difficult terrain and reached the patient after around one hour and 15 minutes.
The 18-year-old, a primigravida, was at term and experiencing active labour pain. Given the advanced stage of labour, the difficult terrain and the distance from both the ambulance and healthcare facility, the EMT decided to conduct the delivery at the site.
“At 1:35 pm., the EMT successfully conducted the delivery in the forest with the assistance of the pilot. A live male newborn was delivered,” Mushtaq said.
Immediate post-delivery care was provided, including maintenance of IV access, administration of IV fluids and continuous monitoring of both the mother and newborn.
After stabilisation, the mother and baby were carried back to the ambulance and shifted to PHC Dangiwacha, where the patient was admitted at around 2:59 p.m. for further maternal and neonatal care.
The patient’s family expressed gratitude to the 108 Emergency Medical Services team for reaching them despite the difficult terrain and providing timely care.
The family also thanked the Government and National Health Mission (NHM), J&K, for making emergency medical services available around the clock, particularly in remote and difficult-to-access areas of Baramulla.
The incident highlights the role of 108 Emergency Medical Services in providing timely pre-hospital care, even in areas where conventional road access is unavailable.
The eight-kilometre trek also underscored the commitment of the 108 JKEMS team to ensuring that emergency medical assistance reaches patients regardless of their location or the challenges posed by the terrain.
The Project Head also said that since the launch of the project in Jammu and Kashmir, 1493 deliveries have been successfully conducted by 108 ambulance staff.
“Every call received by the Centralised Call Centre is treated with the urgency of a life-threatening emergency,” he said, adding that they are there to serve and save the lives of patients.
The health department has set up base locations for the purpose across J&K at identified places, including district, sub-district hospitals, CHCs and some selected PHCs.
