Cyclone Dana: 2,201 pregnant women give birth amidst storm in Odisha

PTI Bhubaneswar: Cyclone Dana spared Odisha and West Bengal of any severe damage to infrastructure while flight and rail operations resumed on Friday after the cyclonic storm completed landfall, triggering heavy rains and uprooting of trees and electric poles. A total of 2,201 pregnant women evacuated to maternity centres by the Odisha government ahead of Cyclone Dana’s landfall gave birth during the calamity. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi congratulated the mothers and wished well for their newborns, which included 18 sets of twins. As part of the evacuation, around 6 lakh people were housed in 6,008 cyclone shelters, while expectant mothers were admitted to various hospitals for safety.

The health department said 4,859 women were transferred to maternity centres, where they received care and support for their deliveries. Of the 2,211 women who gave birth, 1,858 had normal deliveries and 343 underwent cesarean sections, officials said. “All mothers and babies are healthy and safe. The births occurred on October 23 and 24,” they said. Urbasi Nahak from Ganjam district gave birth to twins on the day of the cyclone and plans to name her son ‘Dana’ and his sister ‘Danabati,’ an official added. Despite initial worries about the storm, families are celebrating the safe arrivals of their new children. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi asered that no fatality report has been received so far.