When birthing complications put the life of a mother and baby in danger, there would usually be no hope in a community cut off from hospital care. But a visiting team of doctors, flown by MAF, were in the right place at the right time.
Story by Antsatiana Gino Randrianasolo
Access to healthcare is extremely limited in remote Madagascar. Living among the Mangoky River, one of Madagascar’s largest waterways, means travelling to the nearest hospital can take days, through dangerous terrain.
Too often, isolation determines whether someone lives or dies.
For expectant mother Nomenisoa Christine, timely access to a larger hospital can be the only option.
Nomenisoa had gone into labour, and complications quickly developed, with concerns that an emergency C-section might be needed. The district hospital could not perform the surgery, and she would have to travel days to get the surgery she needed.
That’s when the urgent late-night call came.
Just hours earlier, MAF pilots Wouter Nagel and Rutger Bakker dropped off HoverAid medical team into the heart of this isolated region. That meant skilled doctors were already on the ground when they got the call.
The team had just finished installing tents to sleep under but as soon as they heard that someone needed their help, they gathered their equipment and went straight to the hospital.
“We cannot wait,” Richard said. “The baby is in danger; we must do something.”
On assessment, the doctors found out the baby in a transverse position, making delivery dangerous.
We must do something
Conditions were difficult. Night had already fallen over Beroroha, and lighting was limited. A generator was set up; equipment was quickly unpacked but decisions had to be made quickly, and time was against the team.
Working together with local staff, the team carefully repositioned the baby and assisted the delivery.
“When you come here, you realise quickly that access is everything,” said Andy Mayo, Chief Technical and Development Officer at HoverAid UK. “Sometimes there is simply no other option for people.”
When you come here, you realise quickly that access is everything
The newborn showed little sign of life, unresponsive and only faint breathing. For a moment, everyone feared the worst. Then a cry broke through the room, and relief filled the space. A life had been saved.
By the following day, both mother and baby were doing well and there was no longer cause for concern.
“This is my third child,” said Nomenisoa. “After all that happened, I wish to call her Avotra.”
The name means ‘saved’ in Malagasy language and reflects exactly what had just taken place.
For Andy, who has worked with HoverAid since the 1990s, situations like this underline why this partnership matters. MAF brings teams quickly into remote places like Beroroha, enabling people to be reached by doctors and receive life-saving care.