Athirampuzha: A remarkably swift response by a team of medical staff aided a woman to give birth to a baby at the Athirampuzha Family Health Centre - a primary health facility without a gynaecology department or gynaecologist. This also marks the first childbirth at the health centre in more than fifty years.

The woman who had already gone into labour arrived at the centre around 8.15 am on Monday. Despite the absence of maternity care facilities at the centre, the duty doctor, under the guidance of medical officer Dr K J Nissy, admitted the patient and went ahead with the labour and delivery procedures. By 9 am, the woman gave birth to a baby girl weighing 2.7 kg.

"It was fortunate that the woman arrived in the morning. We do not have a duty doctor during night shifts, and this healthcare facility has not been designated as a birthing centre. Typically, such cases are handled by the taluk hospital.

"However, given the urgency of the situation, the family may have brought her here directly. There was no time to refer her elsewhere as she was already in active labour. Our priority was to ensure the safety of both the mother and the child," Dr Nissy told Onmanorama.

Nurses Mini Joseph, Anu C Thomas, Pushpavalli and Sheeja assisted in the delivery. Due to the lack of postnatal care facilities at the centre, the mother and newborn were shifted to Kottayam Government Medical College Hospital.