Rekha Devi’s Struggle for a Safe Delivery
Or, How a Plucky Swasthya Sathi Stood Up to the System and Saved Lives
Location: Atalkha Panchayat, Saharsa district, eastern Bihar.
Rekha Devi, a Swasthya Sathi, or health rights activist trained by SATHI, succeeded in her tireless efforts to ensure that Samta Devi, a 21-year-old expectant mother, could deliver her first child safely.
It began with a phone call late one night, when Samta went into labor. Neither the government emergency helpline (102), nor the health-specific helpline responded. Her family’s next call was to Rekha Devi, who knew she had to step in to advocate for the patient’s right to a safe delivery.
Samta Kumari’s family managed to get to the nearest community health center, where her water broke. Hours later, they were redirected to Saharsa Sadar Hospital without explanation. At Saharsa, they found no doctor on duty—everyone was on leave. By midnight, the staff suggested that she be sent to Bhagalpur Medical College, more than a hundred kilometres away, all while her labor progressed. When the family protested, the referral was changed to Madhepura Medical College. Fortunately, Samta delivered a healthy baby through a normal delivery at Madhepura at 1 a.m.
However, at every stage, they faced systemic failures and challenges.
Rekha Devi’s Intervention
- Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Rekha Devi advised the family to get to the nearest public health center. She then resolved to file a formal complaint once the helplines resumed service. Their failure was nothing new; at night, or on holidays, the emergency numbers often stayed silent.
- Rekha Devi accompanied Samta and her family as they went from pillar to post to find a functional government health center that was willing to help them.
- At every hospital, staff issued threats and demanded bribes. Rekha Devi, along with Neetu, another organizer from the JJSS, stood their ground and refused to give in. Samta delivered safely without paying a single rupee.
When the System Fails…
Corruption, mismanagement, and apathy at every stage meant that what should have been a relatively simple trip to the nearest center turned into an unwanted ordeal for the young mother and her family.
- First, the landlines failed.
- Next, Samta was not treated, and instead transferred, despite being in active labor
- Then, all doctors were on leave at a district hospital with an already underserved population
- Further, a mother in labor was told to travel one hundred kilometers away in order to have a safe and healthy delivery, as is her right
None of these were isolated incidents. They were mere reflections of the public health system in the region–one that functions to exhaust, bully, and deprive the sick and needy rather than serve them.
What Rekha Devi had was not any form of “official” power, but awareness, vigilance, and guts. She held the system accountable and stood up to government corruption in the process. Rekha Devi helped another young woman survive childbirth that night, thanks to her ability to put her training into action.
Shohini Shoeb, SAHAR program coordinator from SATHI, summarized it succinctly:
“Rekha did not just help deliver a child—she helped deliver hope, dignity, and the belief that ordinary women can demand what the system owes them”
AID supports Swasthya Sathis working in Araria, Saharsha and Katihar districts of Bihar. The program goes beyond supporting public health care, it also empowers women like Rekha Devi to become confident advocates for their communities. Contribute and support our efforts today!