Srinagar: Army on Tuesday airlifted a critical pregnant woman from the Dudi village of Machhal Sector in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district to provide here a specialized treatment.
The entire Macchal Sector is presently cut off due to excessive snowfall from January 7 to 14, thus surface transportation for providing specialist medical support was ruled out.
“A local army unit at Dudi, Macchal Sector received a distress call from the Sarpanch of Dudi Village informing that 35 year old Zareena Begum, wife of MohdRafiq Khan who is four months pregnant was in critical medical condition,” PRO (Defence), Srinagar said in a statement.
Immediate joint planning was carried out by Indian Army, Indian Air Force and District Administration and speedy air evacuation was planned by diverting the IAF aircraft on operational duty in the Kashmir Valley for this urgent humanitarian effort, the PRO said.
While the District Administration initiated prompt requisition, keeping the urgent medical need AOC J&K granted immediate clearance for the air evacuation, the statement said.
“The Army personnel at Dudi quickly transported the pregnant lady to Dudi Army Helipad and the Air Force authorities immediately dispatched Mi-17 helicopter piloted by Wing Commander N Chaudhary& Squadron Leader APandey to the site. Thereafter the critically ill pregnant lady was flown to Army Helipad at Kupwara along with her husband and two lady relatives. At Kupwara Army Helipad the Army Emergency Medical Response Team took charge, stabilised her vitals and subsequently transported her to District Hospital Kupwara for further medical attention,” the statement said.

KR Desk