When thousands of migrant workers left home after the center announced special “shramik” trains earlier this month, a woman who was suffering from childbirth was promptly offered railway help. The mother and newborn are healthy.
The woman was on her way to Nawada in Bihar, about 100km from Patna, the state capital of Surat.
As the message about medical emergency was sent to the officers, the special train which normally runs from point to point was stopped at Agra. Dr. Pulkitha made arrangements to board the train soon, with a photo of her newborn, she said in a railway tweet. “Mom and baby are healthy,” the post read.
The Railways said at least 20 babies were born on these special trains to return migrant workers back home from May 1 after the Corona virus locked up.
Railway Protection Force (RPF) Director General Arun Kumar tweeted on Wednesday
All mothers were either attended by a team of RPF staff and medical professionals or were taken to nearby hospitals for further treatment.
As India announces one of the world’s strictest lockdowns to fight the epidemic, millions of migrants are out of work. Many of them were walking on roads and railway tracks, ignoring the government’s request to stay in cities.
Since May 1, more than 31 lakh migrant workers have been transported by railways on 2,317 special “shramik” trains. This is seven lakh more than the initial projection of Rs 24 lakh, government data shows.