Moita, Portugal – Firefighters in the Portuguese city of Moita have unexpectedly become midwives, assisting in 15 births within the past year.the surge in ambulance deliveries highlights systemic issues with access to healthcare, particularly for vulnerable populations, and the geographical challenges faced by pregnant women in the region.
The volunteer firefighters of Moita have found themselves increasingly delivering babies as expectant mothers are forced to travel long distances to reach hospitals,raising the risk of giving birth en route.Commander Ferreira attributes the high number of births to these travel distances and the demographic makeup of the area, which includes a significant immigrant population who may not receive consistent prenatal care.
Firefighter Hugo rodrigues describes the emotional impact of these events: “You have a mix of emotions, it is indeed a very special and significant event to help someone come into the world.” He recounts one particularly challenging birth where a woman was already in labor on the floor, her husband unconscious beside her, and ultimately delivered twins, with one infant initially in cardiorespiratory arrest, which firefighters successfully reversed.
the unusual trend prompted inquiries from the minister’s cabinet, seeking an explanation for the concentration of births in Moita fire department ambulances. Cases have included women unaware they were pregnant, such as a Guinean woman who sought help for abdominal pain only to deliver unexpectedly.
Firefighter Paulo Medina, who has assisted in three births, expressed a bittersweet sentiment: “It makes me happy to know that I brought three babies into the world, but it is indeed one of those things that I prefer to pass by. At that moment we have two lives in our hands. If things go badly in hospitals, inside an ambulance everything is done to make things worse.” All 15 births attended by the Moita firefighters have resulted in positive outcomes.