During the early hours of Monday, the Volunteer Firefighters of Ílhavo assisted a woman as she gave birth in an ambulance on the way to the hospital.
“This morning we were called for a young mother who was in labor,” reads a post on the firefighters’ Facebook page.
The post further notes that “an ambulance with two crew members was dispatched to the location, later receiving support from the medical vehicle of Infante D. Pedro Hospital in Aveiro.”
“Both the baby and the mother are in good health,” it adds.
The ambulance was en route to a maternity unit in Coimbra because the Obstetrics and Gynecology emergency services at Aveiro Hospital were closed. The woman, already in labor, was unable to reach the maternity unit, leading to the childbirth in the city of Coimbra.
“Not Related to Emergency Closures”
Recently, the executive director of the National Health Service (SNS), Álvaro Almeida, acknowledged a “slight” increase in ambulance births but argued that these situations “are not directly related to the closure of emergency services.”
“There is, indeed, a slight increase in births outside the home and hospitals, about six more this year compared to the previous year, but it does not correspond or correlate directly with the closures of emergency services. This is because the number of closures is lower this year than last,” he stated in an interview with SIC Notícias, assuring that the Executive is “analyzing each of the 56 known cases to try to understand why there is this slight increase this year.”
According to Almeida, “there are few cases in absolute terms, meaning each has its specificity.” “We are trying to find a pattern, common lines that allow us to act and correct certain issues,” he affirms.
Almeida laments the situation but highlights that, “in certain cases, the situation develops with such speed that it would never be possible to respond,” acknowledging that “in other cases, there may be some difficulties in the response process.”
Natacha Nunes Costa | 07:57 – 21/08/2025
