Shopian: As the Shopian-Keller road had not been cleared of snow, a woman from Shalidar Zarakan village in Shopian district was forced to give birth on a stretcher that was being carried by locals traveling on foot to the hospital, on Tuesday.
Locals identified the woman as Akhter Jan. They said she was carried upon a stretcher after she complained of labour pain. However, the childbirth happened seven kilometres away from the hospital, locals said.
Jan’s husband told Kashmir Reader that authorities had not yet cleared the Shopian-Keller road, forcing them to carry the expecting mother on stretcher.
He said that they left their home at 10 am but reached the hospital at 1 pm, by which time his wife had delivered her child on the stretcher.
He said that even after seeking help from the administration, no help from the authorities came.
His wife, he said, is stable as of now.
Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Shopian Dr Ramesh Bhat confirmed the incident and said that both mother and child are stable and are admitted in Keller hospital.

Raashid Hassan