Two women gave birth last month under unusual circumstances in the Canary Islands, one inside an ambulance in Lanzarote and the other in the middle of a traffic jam in Tenerife.
Both deliveries were guided remotely by the Emergency Services Coordination Centre (CECOES) on the phone.
The first incident occurred in Lanzarote during the early hours of 9th June. CECOES received an alert at 4:00am from the town of Tías, where a 37-year-old woman in full-term labour needed urgent help. With the nearest advanced ambulance already attending another emergency, a basic life support unit was dispatched instead.
Upon arrival, the crew found the woman already entering the final stage of labour. The emergency call centre’s coordinating nurse provided step-by-step instructions to the ambulance team as they assisted with the birth en route to the hospital, and a baby boy was delivered safely in the ambulance. Both mother and child were reported to be in good health upon arrival at the hospital.
Just two weeks later, on the morning of 23rd June, a similar situation unfolded on Tenerife. A couple heading to the hospital became stuck in a heavy traffic jam on the TF-5 motorway near Tacoronte, an area notorious for congestion. The woman, also full-term, went into labour while their car was at a standstill.
With no immediate medical help nearby, a doctor from SUC’s operations centre remained on the phone throughout the delivery. He guided the woman through the birth, advising her to clean the baby’s head once delivered, and then to place the newborn on her chest for skin-to-skin contact, and keep the baby warm.
At the same time, an advanced ambulance was sent to meet the couple at a point near Tenerife North Airport, around six kilometres from where the birth took place. The ambulance crew took over care for the mother and her newborn daughter and transported them both to hospital, where they were admitted in good health.
