KOTA KINABALU, Feb 27 — A woman who went into labour just as a landslide hit her village deep in the interior of Sabah is alive today thanks to the gallant efforts of medical officers from the Tambunan district hospital.
Sabah Health director Dr Maria Suleiman said the pregnant woman was being assessed by staff from a nearby clinic when a landslide occurred at 7.26am yesterday, cutting off access to the main road in Kampung Pahu, Tambunan.
“A medical team from Klinik Desa Tontolob, Liawan, Tambunan, which was located nearby, conducted an initial assessment and stabilised the patient. The examination revealed that the patient was in the active phase of labour and required immediate transfer to the hospital,” Dr Maria said in a statement today.
Due to the landslide, neither an ambulance nor other emergency vehicles could reach the village.
And so, officers from Klinik Desa Tontolob, Liawan aided by several policemen and villagers worked together to find safe paths through the thick mud, carrying the pregnant woman on a stretcher to the ambulance to transport her to Keningau hospital for treatment.
“Upon arrival at Keningau Hospital, the patient was immediately admitted to the operating room and underwent an Emergency Lower Segment Caesarean Section (EMLSCS) due to signs of foetal distress.
“Both the mother and baby were in stable condition following the surgery,” said Dr Maria.
She thanked all the agencies involved in the operation, including the police, the Public Works Department, and medical teams from Tambunan district hospital, Keningau hospital, and Klinik Desa Tontolob.
“We would also like to thank the members of the public and local residents who contributed to the evacuation process,” she said.
