Isiolo Governor Deploys Helicopter To Save Pregnant Woman From Floods

Isiolo Governor, Abdi Hassan, was on Thursday, November 2 made to call in a helicopter to rescue a pregnant woman with birth complications after the ambulance that was ferrying her got stuck in mud during the ongoing rains.

The ambulance ferrying her to Isiolo County Teaching and Referral Hospital got stuck in the Kulamawe area as floods raged the region.

The rescue efforts were conducted jointly by the county government and Northern Rangelands Trust while the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy provided the helicopter deployed for the rescue mission.

A pregnant woman rescued by a helicopter in Isiolo on November 2, 2023. /COUNTY GOVERNMENT OF ISIOLO

The woman had been moved from Malkadaka dispensary to Garbatula Hospital via the conservancy vehicle. Still, upon arrival, the medical team referred her to Isiolo County Teaching and Referral Hospital for specialised care upon discovering that she was in a critical condition.

It was then that the ambulance was set to take her to the referral hospital but got stuck in the mud prompting those involved to source for emergency help.

“We involved Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) vehicles who helped us move the patient from Malkadaka to Garbatula, on its way to our facility In Isiolo, but due to heavy rains, the vehicle got stuck and could not move,” an official told the media.

The team then reached out to the governor who immediately called for help from the Lewa Conservancy, who provided their helicopter to assist the patient.

“Through the efforts of our governor who reached out to the management of Lewa, they helped us in evacuating the patient to our facility,” the official added.

The rescue comes as heavy rains continue impacting the country. In related news, heavy downpours on Thursday night led to raging floods that submerged major roads in Mombasa including the newly built Makupa bridge.

Cars and critical infrastructure were submerged following the floods which left passengers and pedestrians were left stranded following traffic disruption in the area.

The highway,  which also connects Nairobi, left travellers with few options with some missing flights at the Moi International Airport and the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) train.

For drivers who were to connect to Mombasa from Nairobi, they were left with no other choice but to wait for traffic police and county officials to intervene.

Roads that are still under construction were rendered impassable, with all Nairobi and Mombasa inbound vehicles forced to use one lane. The water has since been drained away.

Photo of submerged vehicles along Mombasa-Changamwe road on November 3, 2023. /NTV