Restoration of Mumbai's century-old museum wins UNESCO Asia-Pacific award
New Delhi (PTI): The restoration of the 100-year-old Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya in Mumbai has won a top award from UNESCO, with the jury hailing it as a project that "sets a standard" for the conservation of world heritage monuments.
The museum, part of the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai's world heritage property, has received the Award of Excellence in this year's UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation that were announced on Saturday.
UNESCO Bangkok, in a statement, said, "The jury applauded the museum project for restoring 'a major civic institution in the historic city of Mumbai'.
"The jury noted, 'impressive in its scale, the project addressed extensive deterioration through well-informed architectural and engineering solutions, overcoming major challenges during the pandemic'," it said.
The "heroic" restoration of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya has received the Award of Excellence in this year's UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation, the statement said.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya was established as the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India in 1922.
Thirteen projects from six countries - Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Nepal and Thailand - have been acknowledged for awards by an international jury in this year's awards programme.
Jury deliberations were carried out in November 2022 when members reviewed 50 entries from 11 countries from the Asia-Pacific region.
Besides, the Domakonda Fort of Telangana, and Byculla Station of Mumbai, are among the winners in the Award of Merit category, while the stepwells of Golconda in Hyderabad has won an award in the Award of Distinction category.
Topdara Stupa, Charikar, Afghanistan, and Nantian Buddhist Temple, Fujian, China, have also received the Award of Merit, the statement said.
"The awards give people a sense of pride and sense of ownership of their own heritage," Feng Jing, the Chief of the Culture Unit at UNESCO Bangkok, was quoted as saying in the statement.
Since 2000, the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation programme has been recognising the efforts of private individuals and organisations in restoring, conserving, and transforming structures and buildings of heritage value in the region.
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Palghar (PTI): A 25-year-old woman with pregnancy complications delivered a baby in an ambulance with the help of a doctor onboard while being shifted from a rural hospital here to neighbouring Thane, officials said on Tuesday.
The Wada Rural Hospital in Maharashtra's Palghar district lacks specialised facilities for managing such critical maternity cases, its medical superintendent Dr Yadav Shekhare told PTI.
The "poor road conditions" further complicated the process of shifting the woman to a hospital in Thane for better care, he said.
The woman, Kalyani Bhoye, having intense labour pains, was brought to the rural hospital by her family early morning on December 13, he said.
The doctor on duty found the foetus' heartbeat was erratic and the child had already passed meconium (stool) in the womb, which is often a sign of foetal distress, the official said.
Recognising the severity of the situation, the attending doctor referred the woman immediately to the Thane Civil Hospital, located 75 km away, for advanced treatment.
The woman was promptly ferried in a fully equipped ambulance with a doctor onboard.
But, just 10 kilometres into the journey, the poor road conditions and bumpy terrain triggered the need for the woman's delivery inside the ambulance, the health official said.
The doctor onboard helped in the safe delivery of a healthy baby boy, he said.
Realising the need for immediate post-delivery care, the ambulance returned to the Wada Rural Hospital, where both the mother and the newborn boy were provided with further medical treatment, Dr Shekhare said, adding that both the mother and son were out of danger.
He said the rural hospital lacks specialised facilities required for such cases. Despite this, the hospital performs up to six deliveries every day, including two to three caesarean sections.
Dr Shekhare emphasised the need for improved infrastructure and equipment to better serve patients in remote areas.
While appreciating the doctors' efforts, he said the "poor road conditions" complicated the process of transporting the woman to Thane.
An explanation would be sought from the duty doctors to document the case, but their actions were in line with the commitment to provide the best possible care, he said.
Dr Shekhare praised the proactive approach of the doctors on duty, highlighting their commitment to saving lives despite limited facilities at the hospital.
"The doctors did not hesitate to refer the patient to a higher medical facility, prioritising her safety. Their decision, coupled with the presence of a doctor in the ambulance, ensured a smooth delivery under challenging conditions," he said.
After the woman's return to Wada hospital, a paediatrician promptly attended to the newborn, ensuring his health and stability, he added.
