Emergency Response / 'Heart Attack' Amid Odisha Floods! Fire Services Personnel Race To Save ASHA Worker

Kendrapada, Aug 18: Fire Services personnel rescued an ASHA worker after she suffered a heart attack in a flood-affected village in Odisha's Kendrapada district, reaching her by power boat and shifting her to a health centre for treatment, a source said Tuesday.

The woman, identified as Shantilata Majhi, an ASHA worker from Ghagara Diha village under Kendrapada block, suffered a heart attack, following which her family alerted the Fire Services personnel.

With the area affected by floodwater, firefighters reached the village by power boat and rescued Shantilata. She was subsequently taken to the Indupur Community Health Centre for treatment.

Firefighter Nirakar Tripathy said, "We received information from the village Sarpanch that a woman was unconscious and having difficulty breathing. We immediately took a powerboat and rushed to the village. The roads in the village were completely inundated, and we had to navigate through floodwaters for nearly a kilometre to reach Ghagara Diha village."


"We shifted the woman from her village to a motorable road within 10 minutes and transported her and her family members in a Fire Services vehicle, as an ambulance would have taken longer to arrive", Tripathy added.

Quick Response Aids Rescue
The incident highlights the challenges faced by residents of flood-affected areas in accessing emergency medical care.

In suspected heart attack cases, immediate medical assistance is crucial. While waiting for professional help, the person should be kept calm and made to rest in a comfortable position. If the person becomes unresponsive and is not breathing normally, CPR should be started and an automated external defibrillator used if available.

The firefighters' timely response enabled Shantilata to be taken to a health facility despite the flood conditions.

Also Read: 1.48 Lakh Affected As Floods Inundate 137 Villages In Odisha's Kendrapada District

Odisha Flood Update
Odisha continues to battle a moderate flood situation, with Brahmani and Baitarani rivers remaining swollen. According to Engineer‑in‑Chief Dillip Kumar Rout, waterlogging is expected to persist for another 3-4 days, even as rainfall has reduced in some districts.

Currently, over 5.15 lakh people have been affected, with more than 2.37 lakh relocated to safer places and housed in 293 temporary shelters. Relief and rescue operations continue across northern Odisha.