Unsung heroes: When hospitals were distant dreams, this midwife in Karnataka brought 13,000 babies into the world

In Kannada, Sulagatthi refers to traditional midwives who were much sought after before advanced health care systems were in vogue.

Born in 1922, Eeramma was married at a young age, and she gave birth to three children during the Plague that struck North Karnataka, taking the lives of many in the region. Eeramma, who used to work in the fields, learnt midwifery from her grandmother.

“I assisted in the first delivery when I was 30 years old. I did not have any kind of doubt about my ability, and there was community support. After the first success, it was news in and around my village,” she says.

Born in 1922, Eeramma was married at a young age, and she gave birth to three children during the Plague that struck North Karnataka, taking the lives of many in the region. Eeramma, who used to work in the fields, learnt midwifery from her grandmother. (Express)

Since then, Eeramma got busy as a midwife attending to one delivery after another. “She used to keep herself available all the time. She used to travel at least 30 km — on bullock carts or as a pillion rider on cycles — to perform deliveries. It doesn’t matter whether it was during night or day, she never said ‘no’ to anyone, despite her difficulties,” says Manjappa.

It was also the time when these villages had no idea about hospitals and their purpose.

“This part of the region was not a developed place then. Forget hospitals, the villagers back then did not know the term doctor. The nearest district headquarters was Ballari, which is again 76km. There was no reason for the villagers to travel to Ballari. If Eeramma were not there, many women and children would have died. Some 25 years ago, a primary health centre came into existence in Chikkajogahalli, 7 kilometres from the village, and it was upgraded to perform deliveries around 15 years ago,” Vinay Kumar M T, a teacher at Government Higher Primary School, Obalashettihalli, explains about the situation during the 1950s.

Nagaveni B B, 23, an attender at a co-operative society, says she is indebted to Eeramma’s for her labour care during her mother’s delivery. “When my mother was pregnant, she was not in a state to afford the cost to travel to the town to get the baby delivered, even at a government hospital. If there was no Eeramma, I don’t know whether I would be alive to talk to you today,” she says.

“As a child, I have seen that she has delivered babies in bullock carts on the way to hospitals. Some people in nearby villages also preferred Eeramma to doctors, fearing C-section deliveries,” she adds.

At a time when health care has become a costly affair with advancements in modern medicine, Eeramma recalls that years ago, the highest money she received was Rs 5. She also points out the difference in pay depending on the gender of the baby.

“I never asked for money from anyone, but some people gave me. In the early days, if a boy child was born, I used to get two plates of jowar or ragi, and if a girl child was born, I used to get one plate. I would have to take care of the newborn and the mother for the next 16 days,” she says.

With health care facilities in her village getting upgraded, Eramma stopped attending to delivery cases when she turned 85. “During that time, some of the government nurses asked me not to do midwifery and warned me of legal actions. I stopped it then,” she says.

In recognition of her contribution to rural maternal health, the Karnataka government honoured Eeramma with the Karnataka Rajyotsava award this year. “Forget applying for an award, she did not know that such an award existed till she got one. Despite being 103 years old, we took her to Bengaluru, and it is a proud moment for us,” Manjappa says.

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