After the devastating passage of Cyclone Chido, a police officer from Mamoudzou, without any medical training, helped a woman give birth in precarious conditions. He testifies to RMC.
In Mayotte devastated by Cyclone Chido, where medical infrastructures are operating slowly, the story of the birth of a little girl brings a breath of hope. Tuesday, December 18, in Mamoudzou, it was thanks to the composure and improvisation of a police officer that this birth was able to take place without complications.
Anoueche, member of the Bac and representative of Alliance Police in Mayotte, was on a mission when he was stopped by residents to help a woman about to give birth. “I walked into the room and said, ‘Oh shit!’ and then I did it like in the movies.”he testifies at the microphone of RMC.
Faced with this unprecedented situation, the father of two called on his instinct. “When I arrived, you could already see the baby’s head and hair, so I put my hand in and told the mom to push.”
The D system to save a life, “baby Chido”, a symbol of hope
In the absence of any medical equipment, Anoueche quickly sought help. After finding a police crew equipped with a radio, an emergency room doctor took over remotely, guiding the officer to manage the expulsion of the placenta and cut the umbilical cord.
“I had never done that, so I was afraid of doing it wrong”, says the police officer, who used the means at hand to ensure the safety of the mother and child. With a candle, he sterilized the blades of a pair of scissors before intervening, until a midwife arrived 20 minutes after the birth. “When the baby reacted, I was relieved.”he confides, remembering this moment when, despite the tension and the surrounding chaos, life triumphed.
Affectionately nicknamed “baby Chido” by locals, in memory of the cyclone that hit the archipelago, the little girl becomes a symbol of resilience for this hard-hit territory. “Maybe this is the beginning of the rebirth of this territory”, hopes Anoueche. A timeless moment, including for the young mother who assures that “everything is fine”.
