Odisha floods: ASHA worker carries elderly woman to safety on back

Bhadrak , An ASHA worker has been applauded by the Bhadrak district administration for rescuing a 60-year-old woman from the recent Odisha floods by carrying the elderly person to safety on her back, an official said on Thursday.

Minati Sahoo carried the woman on her back for around 500 metres through knee-deep water to a safe shelter in Dhamnagar block.

Sahoo, who serves Nadigaon and Bharatpur areas, was providing medicines in waterlogged villages and spreading awareness among residents about precautions against diseases likely to spread due to the floods, he said.

While she was returning from her field visit, she learnt that a breach in the Karanpal River embankment had caused floodwaters to enter Nadigaon village.

When she visited the area, she noticed the elderly woman, identified as Basanta Das, sitting alone on the verandah of her house. Floodwaters had already reached the verandah level, the official said.

Das was unable to move on her own as she was suffering from an infection in her legs and normally needed the support of family members even to walk. Her son, meanwhile, had gone to a medical facility with his pregnant wife, he said.

Realising the danger to the woman's life as the floodwater continued to rise, Sahoo immediately stepped into the knee-deep water and carried Das on her back.

Battling the strong currents, she walked for nearly half-a-kilometre and brought the elderly woman safely to the Patana community centre, which was being used as a shelter for flood-affected people, the official said.

"I was moving through the waterlogged villages of Nadigaon and Bharatpur to provide medicines and advise people to remain alert against diseases caused by floodwaters. When I learnt about the breach in the Karanpal River embankment, I returned to Nadigaon, where I saw the elderly woman sitting alone on the verandah of her house, with water already reaching that level. As she could not walk because of her leg infection, I carried her to the Patana community centre," Sahoo said.

Her timely intervention not only ensured the woman's safe evacuation but also demonstrated the commitment of frontline health workers who continue to serve people despite difficult and hazardous conditions during natural disasters, the official said.

"Such acts of courage, humanity and dedication are a shining example of the commitment of personnel engaged in serving people during floods. Minati Sahoo's selfless effort is truly inspiring," Bhadrak District Information and Public Relations Officer Madhusmita Satapathy said.

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