Dial and push: Call of nature

Aman Foundation catches an emergency signal and delivers a life-long connection.

KARACHI: Farzeen Khan is barely a month old and has already made history. Her birth marked a lot of firsts and was eventually recognised in a ceremony titled ‘Making a Difference’ by the Aman Foundation. It was a marker to applaud an unprecedented call to action by Tayyab Yar Khan, who works as an Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD) with the organisation.

On call

On January 30, an emergency call was received at 4:55am in the Command and Control department of the foundation. It was frenzied cry for help related to patient transfer to a hospital for child delivery. The call came from Ahmed Khan, a resident of Surjani Town Sector 7C. His wife, Almas Begum, had gone in labour and was in extreme pain. The parents-to-be were in a state of panic, requesting an ambulance to be dispatched as soon as possible.

Quick to assess the urgency of the situation, Tayyab decided to take charge as the ambulance made its way through Karachi traffic to the family’s house. “Knowing the condition of the mother, I had to help them get through this without any casualties,” said Tayyab. “I had to keep the conversation going with the father until the ambulance reached.”

Ahmed was, however, hesitant at first to relate details about his wife’s condition. Tayyab’s calm expertise soon put him at ease. The baby had started crowning, putting both the mother and the child’s life at risk. There was no sign of an ambulance till then. He knew he had to start the delivery process on the phone.

“One of the problems of working as an emergency dispatcher on call is that you are talking to strangers,” Tayyab admitted. “You essentially have no relationship yet you are suddenly involved in a very personal and intimate time in their lives. In order to start the process, I had to get them to place their trust in me.”

Home delivery

As an EMD, Tayyab had received basic training to deal with such situations. However, the circumstances were a first for both the parents and him. He was frightened as he started the process but his training to handle life-threatening situations dissipated the fear. He grabbed the  pre-arrival guidance book and led them through it step by step. Luckily, the birth wasn’t complicated and sooner than later Tayyab heard Farzeen arrive in the world.

‘Making a Difference’

The birth of Farzeen made a difference in both the EMD and her parents’ life. They had been warned only a week before about possible complications that may require surgery. However, the heroic persistence on Tayyab’s part made it possible for Farzeen to become the first baby in Pakistan to be delivered over the phone. At the recognition ceremony, the proud parents expressed a surprised gratitude.

“We were unsure of the whole process but today we are really happy and thankful to Tayyab and Aman Foundation for their help,” said Ahmed.

The young EMD, on the other hand, basked in a warm after-glow, both humbled and honoured to have brought life and joy through a phone call. “The memory of that day stays with me, a reminder of what my work is worth as I stay up nights and labour on.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 3^rd, 2014.