The Volunteer Firefighters of Moita had to assist in delivering a baby in an ambulance at the A33 service area, en route to Garcia de Orta Hospital in Almada.
This unusual event occurred early this morning and was shared by the fire department on their Facebook page, where it was confirmed that both the mother, Maria, and the baby, Nariel, are doing well.
The firefighters carried out the delivery without the support of a Medical Emergency and Resuscitation Vehicle (VMER).
The post reads: “Life does not wait… Mother Maria needed assistance from Baixa da Banheira and, after contact with the CODU medical regulator, proceeded in the ambulance to Garcia de Orta Hospital. However, life disregards constraints, and at the A33 Service Area, little Nariel was born through the skills of our operatives, even without VMER support, at 3:43 am. Welcome, Nariel. Mother and baby are well.”
This marks the 15th delivery the Moita firefighters have assisted under similar conditions this year.
Last week, a baby was born in an ambulance en route to Almada Hospital while the maternity emergency at Barreiro Hospital was closed. The ambulance headed to Almada, but the baby was born on the IC21 before the tolls.
Recently, in a parliamentary hearing, the Minister of Health, Ana Paula Martins, mentioned that this year there have been approximately 150 deliveries in non-hospital settings, such as in ambulances, on the street, or at home.
For the Setúbal Peninsula, identified as critical due to a lack of health professionals to complete rosters, the government aims to create a regional obstetric emergency unit shortly, with Garcia de Orta Hospital operating continuously and Setúbal Hospital receiving cases referred by SNS 24 and INEM.
