BHUBANESHWAR: Scores of pregnant women in Odisha, with due date prior to June 1, were reluctant to go to hospital amid the Covid pandemic and with Cyclone Yaas approaching. After much persuasion by the administration, over 4,000 pregnant women were shifted to hospitals of whom 774 gave birth in the last two days in 10 districts affected by the cyclone. Now, all of them are thankful to the administration for shifting them to hospitals. Ranu Jena of Balasore district had been dreaming about the day she would hear the first cry of her baby. But she had hardly imagined she would have to give birth with a cyclonic storm bearing down on the state. “It is my first delivery and obviously I was quite nervous due to the Covid situation. My delivery date was Wednesday when the cyclone was expected to hit Balasore. When ASHA didi came and said I have to be shifted to hospital, I understood it was for the safety of me and my child, and I am thankful to the administration for that,” Ranu said. She gave birth to a healthy boy on Tuesday at Balasore municipality hospital. “Shifting the pregnant women and children to safer places has been our priority,” said Rashmi Ranjan Nayak, joint secretary, women and child development department of Odisha