Migrant worker delivers baby on road, walks another 150 km to get help

A migrant worker, who was on a foot journey from Maharashtra to her village in Madhya Pradesh, gave birth to a baby on road. She then walked 150 km more before she could get medical help.

Satna (Madhya Pradesh): It seems like there is no end to the pain and suffering of migrant workers, who are the most affected by the pandemic. Another story of disappointment and helplessness has unfolded in Madhya Pradesh's Satna where a migrant worker who was walking back to her village was forced to give birth on the roadside.

Not only this, what is more shocking is the fact that just after two hours after her delivery, but she also walked another 150 km before she could find any help.

She was travelling on foot from Nashik in Maharashtra to Satna in Madhya Pradesh due to the coronavirus lockdown.

Her husband, Rakesh Kaul, said, "After Shakuntala gave birth, we rested for two hours and then started our journey again and walked for at least 150 kilometres."

AK Ray, the Block Officer of the Unchehara area in Satna, informed that the baby and the mother are doing fine.

"There had been news that they had started from Nashik and after delivery which happened on the roadside, they continued walking for another 150 kilometres. We have also received information that they had been helped by the Madhya Pradesh administration which gave them food and sent them to their place," Ray said.

"We conducted their health checkups and now they will be sent to home quarantine," he added.

Many migrants like Shakuntala and Rakesh have been forced to walk in the scorching heat all the way to their native villages without food and water.

Meanwhile, almost after 50 days since the lockdown was imposed, the central government yesterday announced a 20 lakh crore stimulus package for economic revival.