A staff nurse from Bombay Hospital, Minu Bhaisare, demonstrated remarkable presence of mind and medical skill when she delivered a baby aboard the Nagpur-Mumbai Duronto Express. The emergency delivery occurred in the early hours of June 3, as the train was en route to Mumbai from Nagpur.
The expectant mother, Anjum Waseem Akhtar, nine months pregnant and traveling with her two young daughters, began experiencing severe labour pains shortly after the train departed from Bhusawal Junction. Initially, she bore the pain quietly, but as it became unbearable, fellow passengers alerted the train authorities and repeatedly tried contacting the railway helpline. However, they were informed that medical assistance would only be available at the next scheduled stop, which was still hours away.
Recognizing the urgency and the impossibility of waiting, Nurse Bhaisare, who was also a passenger in Coach S5, stepped forward to assist. Upon examining the mother, she found that the amniotic sac had ruptured and the baby’s head was crowning, indicating an imminent birth. With no medical kit, sterile equipment, or even gloves available, Bhaisare improvised with the resources at hand.
Passengers helped create a makeshift private space for the delivery by hanging bedsheets around a side lower berth. A nursing student traveling on the train also lent assistance. When a sterile blade was unavailable for cutting the umbilical cord, Bhaisare used a knife that was thoroughly washed and sanitized with her personal hand sanitizer. She then used a thread provided by the mother to tie and cut the cord, managed the delivery of the placenta, and cleaned both mother and newborn using water, cotton, and napkins.
The entire delivery was conducted within the moving train. Bhaisare’s primary focus throughout the ordeal was the safety and well-being of both the mother and the newborn. Following the delivery, the mother and her baby girl were attended to by a railway medical team upon the train’s arrival at Chalisgaon station around 2:50 am, according to a Railway Protection Force report.
This incident highlights the critical role of trained medical professionals in unexpected situations and the resourcefulness of individuals and fellow passengers in emergencies, even in the absence of formal medical facilities.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
