After 5 am on 16/9, Dr. Le Thi Gam, 50, head of Thanh Tan medical station, received news that a pregnant woman in Hop Tien hamlet, Thanh Ky commune, was in labor. She, along with two midwives, Hoang Thi Hang and Tran Thi Anh, gathered medical equipment and traveled 11 km by car, guided by the commune police.

Upon reaching Khe Me stream, floodwaters were high and flowing swiftly. Options like using a rescue boat or stringing a rope across the stream were not feasible. The six-person team, consisting of three medical staff and three police officers, left their oto and proceeded along a deserted 500-meter-long irrigation aqueduct that stretched across the stream to enter the hamlet.

The aqueduct wall, tens of meters high, lacked protective railings. The path was narrow, slippery with moss, and overgrown with bushes. Unable to swim, the three female medical staff had to continuously push through dense bushes, maneuver, and crawl close to the concrete surface to avoid strong gusts of wind.

"I just looked straight ahead; I didn't dare to look down because the water below was flowing swiftly, and a misstep would be life-threatening", midwife Hoang Thi Hang recounted.

After 15 minutes, the team safely crossed to the bank and reached the home of the pregnant woman, Luong Thi Luong, 21. The patient's water had broken overnight, and she showed signs of exhaustion. The doctors and nurses instructed the family to feed the woman to restore her strength while preparing for a manual delivery.

By 7:08 am, a baby girl weighing 2,8 kg was born, but she was cyanotic and in respiratory distress from aspirating meconium. Dr. Gam immediately performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation and suctioned mucus. Five minutes later, the baby vomited dirty fluid and cried. "Only then did I breathe a sigh of relief, knowing I had saved both mother and child", Dr. Gam said.

After the vital signs of the mother and baby stabilized, the medical team began their return journey. Crossing the aqueduct was even more risky then, as everyone was exhausted after the stressful emergency.

With over 30 years in the profession, Dr. Gam stated this was her first experience with such a challenging delivery. "The stable health of the mother and baby was the motivation for us to bravely overcome the raging floodwaters", she said.

Dr. Le Thi Gam (in a purple raincoat), midwife Tran Thi Anh (in a green raincoat), and Hoang Thi Hang (in a black raincoat), along with functional forces, cross a water ditch to reach the pregnant woman's home in Hop Tien hamlet, Thanh Ky commune, on the morning of 16/9. Photo: Provided by interviewee

Senior Lieutenant Colonel Bui Thanh Trieu, Chief of Thanh Ky Commune Police, reported that the situation was extremely urgent. With traffic cut off, police and medical personnel were forced to wear life jackets and follow the elevated aqueduct. When news of the mother and baby's safety arrived, the external support team finally felt relieved. "We deeply admire the sense of responsibility shown by the female doctors and nurses, who were willing to brave such a dangerous route to save lives", Senior Lieutenant Colonel Trieu said.

From 13/9 to 17/9, Thanh Hoa experienced heavy rainfall of 300-450 mm, causing water levels in the Buoi, Yen, and Cau Chay rivers to exceed alarm levels 2 and 3. Across the province, over 340 households were deeply submerged. Numerous sections of national highways 15C, 16, 217, and 1A suffered landslides, cutting off traffic and forcing authorities to evacuate over 1.700 people to safety.

Dr. Le Thi Gam (holding the baby) with two midwives, Tran Thi Anh (standing next to Dr. Gam) and Hoang Thi Hang (5th from left), along with functional forces, successfully rescue a pregnant woman in Hop Tien hamlet, Thanh Ky commune, on the morning of 16/9. Photo: Provided by interviewee

Quynh Nguyen