Good news from Godhra: Baby delivered in a bus

Godhra which gained significant negative publicity after the Sabarmati train burning in 2002, is in news again, but this time for all the right reasons. A baby girl was born in a state transport bus on Tuesday afternoon after an expecting mother, in Dhuri Damor, went into labour.

The daughter was born to a couple travelling from Rajpipla to Fatehpura in a Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation bus on Tuesday after the expecting mother went into labour near a village called Vejaplur. The driver of the bus took a quick decision and drove the couple to a nearby hospital where the surgeon rushed in with his team and delivered a healthy baby inside the bus.

"I was scared to see 15 people rushing into my office," said Chief District Medical Officer Dr MG Pisagar.

"Many a time, Godhra conflicts are reported and my heart starting beating fast when I saw the crowd. They were in a great hurry, urging me to come out. After a proper dialogue, I got to know that an expecting mother went into labour in the bus and the driver drove 17 km to reach the hospital. I immediately informed my staff come along with a delivery kit."

Since there was no time to carry the woman into the operation theatre, the procedure was performed inside the bus.

Pisagar said the head of the baby was already visible when the mother was brought to the hospital.

"In my 24-year career, I have never run so fast in socks without shoes," he joked. "The women had cordoned off the mother and the baby's head was visible. We delivered the baby following all the medical procedures. Both mother and daughter are healthy."