Pregnant Woman Taken to Hospital on Banana Raft Amid Knee-Deep Floodwater in Feni

ফেনীর ফুলগাজী উপজেলায় কলাগাছের ভেলায় করে অন্তঃসত্ত্বাকে নেওয়া হলো হাসপাতালে। গতকাল বুধবার দুপুরে

In Fulgazi Upazila, Feni, a pregnant woman was transported to the hospital on a banana tree raft.

As floodwater began entering their home from the morning, Kamrun Nahar (23), who was eight months pregnant, became a cause of concern for her mother and aunt. By noon, the water had reached knee-deep levels inside the house. With no other option, they used a banana tree raft to transport Kamrun Nahar to the hospital.

On Wednesday afternoon, when the raft reached chest-deep water near Fulgazi Upazila Bazar, no vehicles were available. With the help of locals, a journalist from Feni arranged a pickup van to take her to the hospital. Kamrun Nahar gave birth to a baby girl at Feni’s 250-bed General Hospital on Wednesday evening. Her husband, Mohammad Yusuf, confirmed that the delivery was natural, without surgery, and both the newborn and mother are healthy. Speaking to this correspondent over the phone around midnight on Wednesday, Yusuf said his wife’s expected delivery date was in the first week of August. He had sent her to her father’s home in Purba Ghoniamora village in Fulgazi Upazila while he was working in Rangamati. When the embankment of the Muhuri River breached on Tuesday night, flooding the area, he became worried about his wife’s condition. With mobile networks down, he couldn’t contact the family. As Kamrun Nahar went into labor, her mother and aunt used a banana tree raft to take her to the hospital. Initially taken to Fulgazi Upazila Health Complex, she was later transferred to Feni’s 250-bed General Hospital, where she was admitted around 1:30 PM. Ratna Rani Basak, the nurse in charge of the hospital’s labor ward, said Kamrun Nahar delivered a baby girl naturally. Both mother and child are healthy, though the baby is under close observation due to the mother’s inability to breastfeed at night. Yasin Arafat, a volunteer and journalist who assisted in the rescue, said he was recording flood footage when he saw two elderly women struggling with a pregnant woman. He quickly arranged a pickup van with his motorcycle. The woman had taken shelter in a shop amid heavy rain, and prompt action prevented a potential disaster.

Feni’s Civil Surgeon, Mohammad Rubaiyat Bin Karim, said medical teams have been formed at all upazila levels to ensure treatment for patients in flood-affected areas. Doctors and staff are working tirelessly, and these teams will continue their efforts during and after the flood.