Odisha Ambulance worker becomes hero amid Cyclone Dana’s wrath
Bhubaneswar: Amid Cyclone Dana's fierce landfall on Friday morning, an unexpected hero emerged in Odisha’s Kendrapara district.
Manas Kumar Mallik, an ambulance worker, risked his own safety to carry a critically ill woman in his arms through mud-slick paths and torrential rains, as fallen trees blocked the ambulance's route to her village.
The heroic scene unfolded as Mallik, deployed with a 108 Ambulance Service team, received a distress call from Kathuaganda village, where a woman was in urgent need of medical care.
Racing against time and nature, Mallik and his team encountered a massive tree uprooted by the storm’s raging winds, blocking the narrow village road. Determined not to give up, they pushed forward on foot, carrying a stretcher to the river ghat where the patient awaited on a fishing trawler that had ferried her across.
“The road was completely slick with mud from the storm, making it nearly impossible to move the stretcher. I knew we couldn’t waste time, so I decided to carry her in my arms to the ambulance," Mallik explained to reporters.
Thanks to Mallik’s determination, the woman was safely transported to the hospital and is now recovering.
A video of Mallik’s courageous act was later shared on social media by Odisha’s Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, who commended his selflessness.
“A patient's life was saved due to the bravery of Manas Kumar Mallik, the 108 Ambulance Services worker of Rajnagar block, Kendrapara district, during the storm. Kudos to him for his bravery and humanity. Wishing him a bright future,’ Parida wrote on X.
Mallik wasn’t the only one who demonstrated extraordinary dedication. In Khasamunda village, also in Kendrapara, Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) worker Sibani Mandal worked tirelessly to evacuate seven vulnerable villagers, including an 80-year-old woman and a newborn, to safety.
Mandal covered a grueling one-kilometre journey through the storm’s mud-soaked roads to reach a cyclone shelter, and her bravery was captured on video, sparking widespread admiration online.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi was among those praising her life-saving efforts.
On Saturday, the Odisha government announced plans to honour both Mallik and Mandal for their noble actions. In recognition of their bravery, Mandal will be awarded a pucca house under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, along with additional social benefits.
”As Odisha faces the recurrent challenge of cyclones, stories of individuals like Mallik and Mandal underscore the quiet heroism that arises in times of crisis—individuals whose actions make a profound difference to their communities,” said Tapan Kumar Swain, a development activist.
