Woman in Telangana delivers baby while waiting for ambulance

Hyderabad: A 27-year-old woman in Nirmal district delivered a baby on the roadside at a village while waiting for an ambulance, officials said on Friday, adding that staff of another ambulance who arrived at the spot took care of her. The delivery was almost one month ahead of schedule and the woman and her baby are doing fine, they said.

She went into labour at about 8 pm on Thursday and contacted an Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) who advised her to wait at a place after crossing a water body as a bridge had got washed away in the recent rains.

The ambulance service provided by ITDA (Integrated Tribal Development Agency) was contacted but it could not arrive on time due to connectivity issues. They then contacted the '108' emergency service.

Meanwhile, the woman delivered the baby with some attendants assisting her. The '108' vehicle arrived soon and its personnel took over. The mother and baby were then shifted to a community health centre.

Officials said pregnant women are usually admitted to 'birth waiting rooms' in local hospitals about 10 days ahead of the expected date of delivery but this case was not anticipated so much in advance.