STATE Gujarat EMT Kirti Chaudhari
DISTRICT Banaskantha PILOT Valji Desai
DATE 23rd Dec, 2012 ERCP Dr. Niraj Dave

“Life is the most wonderful thing that we receive from the God.” These were the words that were tinkering in the mind of Bhavnaben.

She had just delivered a baby girl whom she had been wanting from so long. She had always imagined how the baby would grow and become her best friend one day. Now was the time to take that best friend in her arms and see her for the very first time.

But what was this that she just heard? The words sounded like a bullet to her. “Why isn’t the baby crying?” she heard.

The baby was still born; it failed to take its first breath and didn’t move an inch since birth. Bhavnaben knew she should have gone to the hospital instead of delivering the baby at home. But this was something she had never expected. She couldn’t even look at her baby alive. She felt as if the world is collapsing around her just when she heard someone say, “Why don’t you call 108? They must know what to do while taking the baby to the hospital.” Bhavnaben was almost unconscious till then.

Mankadi Ambulance, manned by EMT Kirti Chaudhari and Pilot Valji Desai, was assigned for the case. They reached the scene few minutes after the dispatch with their necessary equipments. The delivery had already occurred before they reached but was not completed. Kirti delivered the placenta, clamped the umbilical cord and cut it. He then assessed the newborn for any signs of life; the pulse and respiration were not detectable immediately Kirti prepared for early transportation and called Emergency Physician Dr. Niraj Dave for online guidance.

The doctor asked Kirti to provide Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) to the baby immediately and shift the newborn to nearest medical facility. As instructed, Kirti started chest compressions with mouth to mouth ventilation and continued doing that till he reached the hospital in Mehsana.

The on duty doctor said that the baby requires a ventilator for artificial ventilation which was not available with them. Kirti and Valji then rushed to the hospital referred by the doctor in Visnagar. Meanwhile, Kirti continued giving artificial respiration to the baby. By this time, Kirti was able to feel the pulse of the baby. After reaching the hospital, the baby was immediately shifted to NICU got incubated and placed on the ventilator.

After 2 days, Bhavnaben was finally able to hold her baby girl in her arms. She could not believe that what seemed to be a still born, 2 days ago, was now enjoying her mother’s embrace as if she was waiting for so long to be in her mother’s arms too. Everybody at the hospital called her a miracle baby, but Bhavnaben knew that the real miracle was possible due to the endless efforts of those two angels who were sent to her by God.