Carpenter misses train home, now daunted by expenses of newborn in Chandigarh
Garima’s husband Pawan, from Maalipur village in UP’s Sultanpur district, is a carpenter by profession
While waiting in the scorching heat for hours to catch the Shramik special train to Uttar Pradesh, 25-year-old Garima developed labour pains minutes before boarding the train. She was rushed to Manimajra Civil Hospital and within minutes she delivered a baby boy.
Sitting outside the gynaecology ward, her husband Pawan, 28, and their 3-year-old son wait earnestly to hold the newborn in their arms. A carpenter by profession, Pawan, from Maalipur village in UP’s Sultanpur district, came to Chandigarh in 2008 seeking a livelihood. The family of three live in a room in Vikas Nagar on rent at ₹2,000. However, the lockdown left him with no work.
March 24 being his last working day, he had only ₹11,500 on him for the next three months. “I managed for two months, but had to spent ₹1,500 to transport my wife to the hospital. Then in May, I borrowed a sum of ₹7,000,” he said.
When Pawan was left with about ₹1,000, he decided to leave the city. “Although, my wife was due to deliver this month, we took the risk of taking the train home,” he said.
On Wednesday at 8 am, the family reached Sector 26, from where they were ferried by bus with other labourers to the railway station. Garima, who was ignoring the pain since morning, found it unbearable by the time they reached the station.
Sub inspector Urmila Rao with Government Railway Police (GRP) who was at the railway station said: “When she developed pains, I called the ambulance which arrived in 10-15 minutes and rushed her to the hospital.”
Dr Sarita, head of Gynaecology department, Manimajra Civil Hospital, said the woman reached around 12 noon in the second stage of labour. “Within 10-15 minutes of her arrival, she delivered the baby. Both mother and child are safe,” she said.
Sitting outside the ward, Pawan said he had been hoping for a baby girl but is happy that mother and child are healthy. Now, with less than ₹2,000 in his pocket, he said, “We will leave for my hometown this week, but as of now I have to meet other expenses such as diapers.”