ICG rescues pregnant woman from island, ensures safe delivery

Amid cyclone 'Vayu' in Gujarat, a pregnant woman was Thursday rescued from an island village cut off from the mainland in Amreli district by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and shifted to a hospital where she delivered a child.

The heartwarming tale came from the island village of Shiyal Bet amid concern about the impact of the cyclone which eventually changed its course and moved away from the Gujarat, coast, much to the relief of the local administration and people living in areas along the shore.

The woman was taken to a hospital in Amreli district where her condition was reported to be stable after delivery, the ICG said.

The ICG received a call from the civil administration for assistance after which it dispatched a ship for her rescue from the island that was cut off from the mainland, the maritime security agency said in a release.

"The station received a call from the civil administration for assistance. The disaster response team was dispatched.

"The patient is presently under the medical supervision of the civil administration doctors and has been reported to be stable, it said.

The administration of the districts along the Gujarat coast affected by 'Vayu' took special measures to identify and shift pregnant women to safer places, said Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Pankaj Kumar.

"Around 5,550 pregnant women who are due for delivery in the next two weeks were identified and shifted to safer places, he said.

In a tweet, Bhavnagar collector Harshad Patel said 15 pregnant women from the district were shifted to hospitals from cyclone-affected areas Wednesday night and four deliveries were done successfully.