On Monday morning, a woman gave birth near the Junta de Freguesia do Carregado in Alenquer, in a residential and commercial area. The pregnant woman began experiencing labor pains and her water broke while having breakfast at a bakery, according to an eyewitness.
A resident named Ana recounted that shortly after 10 a.m., she heard screams from a woman saying, “I don’t want to, I don’t want to.”
Ana looked out her window and saw a woman with what appeared to be blood on her dress, along with a couple, identified as the woman’s parents, who assisted in the delivery.
The father supported his daughter, while the mother was on the phone. The woman in labor lay down near a small wall and gave birth to a girl around 10:30 a.m., Ana reported.
The mother and newborn were transported to the Hospital of Santarém, part of the Unidade Local de Saúde da Lezíria. They are both expected to be discharged today, according to the institution.
The incident prompted Health Minister Ana Paula Martins to request an investigation into the matter by the Inspeção-Geral das Atividades em Saúde (IGAS).
“The procedure has already been ordered by the Inspector General to investigate the assistance provided by Linha SNS 24 and the Centro de Orientação de Doentes Urgentes (CODU) during the incident, as well as the care given by the Unidade Local de Saúde do Estuário do Tejo to the pregnant woman,” stated the Ministry of Health.
The Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica (INEM) noted that the emergency call was directed to CODU at 10:29 a.m., which then dispatched an ambulance from the Alenquer Fire Department at 10:33 a.m., and a Medical Emergency and Resuscitation Vehicle (VMER) from Torres Vedras at 10:37 a.m., as the one from Vila Franca de Xira was occupied.
INEM confirmed the transport of the mother and baby to the Hospital of Santarém with medical support from VMER.
Daniel Ribeiro, commander of the Alenquer Fire Department, stated that upon their arrival, the baby was already born, ensuring that there was no compromise in assistance and that both mother and baby were in good health.
A preliminary investigation by the Serviços Partilhados do Ministério da Saúde (SPMS) indicated a “human error in the application of the triage algorithm and referral, causing the call not to be transferred to INEM,” the entity acknowledged in a statement.
