News
For a Health Worker in Mandi, No River Is Too Big When Duty Calls
Shimla, Updated At : 21:38 PM Aug 24, 2025 IST
Kamla, a health worker from Tikkar village in Mandi district, risked her life to cross a swollen stream in order to report for duty at the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Sudhar, located in the flood-devastated Chauhar Valley. Her determination highlighted both the courage of frontline workers and the dire challenges faced by residents in the region after days of relentless rain and flash floods.
With bridges swept away and roads badly damaged, access to many villages has become not only difficult but life-threatening. In several parts of the valley, makeshift pedestrian bridges and narrow crossings over seasonal rivers (khads) have been washed away, cutting off entire communities.
On Friday, despite these daunting conditions, Kamla set out for the CHC. With regular access routes destroyed and no alternative transport available, she trekked more than four kilometers through treacherous terrain. Her final hurdle was a rain-swollen river. Fully aware that missing duty would disrupt critical health services, she gathered her courage and waded across the dangerous waters—putting her life on the line to ensure her patients were not left without care.
“It was dangerous, but duty comes first. The health center depends on us,” she said modestly after the ordeal.
Commending her dedication, Mandi’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Deepali Sharma, said:
“I deeply appreciate Kamla’s commitment to her duty. She even traveled to a village to ensure a child received vaccination.”
At the same time, she urged all health workers to exercise caution, stressing: “Your safety is equally important. Please do not take risks that endanger your lives while on duty.”
This year alone, the region has witnessed several tragedies. In Seraj, Mandi, a man lost his life while attempting to cross floodwaters. In another case, two men were swept away by a strong current but were saved by villagers.
Kamla’s story is just one example. Many healthcare and government workers in flood-hit areas of Himachal Pradesh are enduring similar hardships—trekking miles on foot, navigating landslides, and climbing through broken, slippery paths—to keep essential services running in isolated villages.
Local residents have appealed to the administration for urgent road restoration, temporary bridges, and the deployment of relief teams to ensure uninterrupted access to essential services.
