It was a leap that many brave-hearts wouldn’t have taken. For Kamla Devi, however, it was just another day at work. The 40-year-old health worker from Himachal Pradesh jumped from one boulder to another, holding footwear in one hand with her backpack and purse slung over shoulders, to cross a raging rivulet — all because she had to immunise a newborn.
“I was worried about the baby. The mother couldn’t come for immunisation because of the weather. So, I thought I should reach them,” Kamla told The Indian Express over the phone.
Kamla is posted at Primary Health Centre, Sudhar, in Padhar tehsil of Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi — the district worst affected by the rain-induced disasters this monsoon.
“The house of the mother-son duo falls under Health Sub-Centre, Swar. I had additional charge of this centre and the child was my additional responsibility. August 19 ko BMO (block medical officer) ne meri duty lagai thi (BMO had put me on duty there on August 19),” said Devi.
A resident of Tikker village in Padhar tehsil, she is mother to two children — son is in Class 11 and daughter is in Class 9. Her husband is a trained graduate teacher.
On Friday, as she took the leap of faith to cross the raging rivulet, not for a split second did she fear for her safety. “The infant’s immunisation schedule demanded my immediate attention. There was nothing else on my mind,” she said.
The health worker’s phone has not stopped ringing ever since video of her daring act was shared online. “I don’t know who shot a video. Since it went viral, I have been answering phone calls only. People are congratulating and saluting me,” said Kamla.
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Her seniors too have taken note of the incident. Deepali Sharma, chief medical officer, Mandi, acknowledged the “grand gesture” of the health worker but maintained that “avoidable risks should not be taken”. “It was a courageous step on her part. But we don’t want our health workers to endanger themselves. If there is an inaccessibility factor, we’ll make arrangements for them to reach the beneficiaries,” Sharma told The Indian Express over the phone.
Devi was appointed a health worker in 2015. Her first posting was in Chamba from 2015 from 2021. Since 2021, she has been serving in Mandi district of the hill state.
160 roads shut in Mandi
As rain continued to lash Himachal Pradesh, more than 300 roads remained closed for traffic Saturday. They included 160 roads in Mandi and 102 in the adjoining Kullu district, as per the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC). The local meteorological office issued a yellow warning for heavy rain in isolated areas of the state from Sunday to Tuesday.
Since the onset of monsoon on June 20, at least 152 people have died and 37 have gone missing in Himachal Pradesh. As per the SEOC, the state has witnessed 75 flash floods, 40 cloudbursts and 74 major landslides so far — most of them in Mandi. The state has incurred losses to the tune of Rs 2,347 crore in rain-related incidents, the SEOC said.
