245 babies born in south Odisha hospitals on 'Hudhud Day'

Reported by Chinmaya Dehury
Bhubaneswar, Oct 14:

As many as 245 babies were born at different hospitals in eight southern districts of Odisha on the eventful day, October 12, when the very severe cyclonic storm Hudhud had kept people across these districts on tenterhooks.

There is, however, no information on whether any of these babies has been named after Hudhud.

At least 29 babies were born in Gajapati district, 44 in Koraput, 25 in Kandhamal, 15 in Malkangiri, 52 in Nabarangpur, 7 in Rayagada, 38 in Kalahandi and 35 in Ganjam on the Hudhud Day, said the Odisha Public Health director KC Das.

He said the Health department had admitted 397 high risk pregnant women expecting delivery in these hospitals a day before the Hudhud hit the state. Besides, other pregnant women were also there in the hospitals.

Out of the 397 pregnant women, 102 were from Koraput, Malkangiri (49), Nabarangpur (31), Rayagada (66), Kalahandi (25), Ganjam (22), Gajapati (37) and Kandhamal (58).

“We were advised by the Odisha government to admit the women in these hospitals for safe delivery. The health department had made uninterrupted power supply available at these hospitals with the help of generators to carry out surgery and for normal delivery,” said Das.

It is to be noted that the government had resorted to powercut in these districts apprehending damage to the power infrastructure and resultant accidents. Power distribution systems in these districts have been damaged as uprooted trees fell on overhead power line snapping lines and conductors at many locations.