Defying Floods: Vietnamese Medical Team Crosses Dangerous Waterway to Aid Delivery

In Thanh Hoa Province, central Vietnam, amidst severe flooding caused by heavy rainfall, a medical team successfully navigated a dangerous irrigation channel to reach and assist a woman in critical need of emergency delivery. The healthcare workers and police officers collaborated, risking their lives on the precarious waterway to ensure a safe birth. Early on September 16, a pregnant woman in Thanh Ky village, Thanh Hoa Province, began experiencing labor pains, necessitating urgent medical intervention. However, the village was isolated by floodwaters, making access via conventional means impossible. Dr. Le Thi Gam, 50, head of the Thanh Tan Health Station, along with two midwives, carried medical equipment and, guided by police, embarked on an 11-kilometer journey. Upon reaching the vicinity of the Khe Me stream, they found it swollen with a strong, fast-flowing current. Neither rescue boats nor rope systems were feasible options. Ultimately, the group of six, comprising three medical staff and three police officers, left their vehicle and decided to traverse a derelict 500-meter-long irrigation channel. This channel, situated tens of meters above the ground, lacked any protective railings. The path was narrow, slippery with moss, and overgrown with bushes, posing significant risks. "I only looked straight ahead, not daring to look down, because the water below was flowing fiercely. A slip would have been life-threatening," recounted midwife Hoang Thi Hang, describing the perilous trek. The medical personnel, to avoid strong gusts of wind, had to hug the concrete surface closely, at times crawling. After approximately 15 minutes, the team safely reached the other side and arrived at the home of the expectant mother, Luong Thi Luong, 21. The patient had experienced a rupture of membranes the previous night and was showing signs of exhaustion. The medical team advised the family to provide her with food to regain strength and prepared for a manual delivery. At 7:08 AM, a baby girl weighing 2.8 kg was born. However, she was cyanotic and experiencing respiratory distress due to aspirating meconium. Dr. Gam immediately initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation and suction. Five minutes later, the infant vomited the fluid and began to cry. "At that moment, I finally breathed a sigh of relief, knowing we had saved both mother and child," Dr. Gam stated. Once the vital signs of the mother and baby stabilized, the medical team began their return journey. However, crossing the irrigation channel again, while exhausted from the stressful emergency, was even more perilous. Dr. Gam, with over 30 years of experience, described this as the most arduous delivery assistance she had ever undertaken. "The stable health of the mother and baby was the motivation for us not to shy away from overcoming the raging flood," she said. Lieutenant Colonel Bui Thanh Trieu, Head of the Thanh Ky Commune Police, confirmed the highly urgent situation. With transportation cut off, the police and medical forces were compelled to wear life jackets and follow the elevated channel path. The support team outside felt relieved only after learning that the mother and child were safe. "We deeply admire the sense of responsibility of the female medical staff who were willing to traverse a dangerous route to save a life," Lieutenant Colonel Trieu commented. From September 13 to 17, Thanh Hoa Province experienced heavy rainfall of 300-450 mm, causing water levels in rivers such as Buoi, Yen, and Cau Chay to exceed alert levels 2 and 3. Over 340 households in the province were severely flooded. Many national highways, including 15C, 16, 217, and 1A, suffered landslides, leading to traffic disruptions and forcing the authorities to urgently evacuate over 1,700 people to safety. Source: VnExpress