The firefighters of Freixo de Espada à Cinta assisted a pregnant woman in giving birth after being called during the early hours of Thursday, December 11.
“The Municipal Civil Protection Service of Freixo de Espada à Cinta expresses its gratitude to the Firefighters of Freixo de Espada à Cinta, particularly professionals Pedro Pinto and Fábio Faustino,” reads a post shared on the authority’s Facebook page.
It continues: “According to the timeline of the event, resources were activated at 5:01 a.m. Arrival on site was at 5:21 a.m. The childbirth was completed at 5:30 a.m., with no apparent health issues for the mother and child.”
According to the post, the delivery took place in the Rescue Ambulance of the Freixo de Espada à Cinta Fire Brigade.
An Immediate Life Support (SIV) ambulance, staffed by a nurse and a pre-hospital emergency technician, was also dispatched to the location.
Data from the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM) indicates that the number of births in ambulances, from January 1 to September 14, has already surpassed the total recorded in the previous three years.
In 2022, there were 25 ambulance births, 18 in 2023, and 28 in 2024. However, by September 14 of this year, INEM had already recorded 32, in addition to two assisted by Moita firefighters in recent weeks.
During a parliamentary session in September, Health Minister Ana Paula Martins noted that around 150 out-of-hospital births were recorded this year, occurring in ambulances, on the street, or at home.
