'No Beds' at 16 Facilities Refuse... COVID-19 Positive Mother Gives Birth in 119 Ambulance

Inducing Delivery with Ambulance Delivery Set and Fire Department Medical Guidance

(Photo from left) Firefighter Choi Soo-min and Firefighter Park Eun-jung of Yangju Fire Station who assisted a mother in childbirth inside the 119 ambulance [Yangju Fire Station]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] In Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, a pregnant woman undergoing home treatment for COVID-19 gave birth inside a 119 ambulance after failing to secure a hospital bed despite being close to delivery.

According to Yangju Fire Station on the 19th, at around 12:49 a.m. on the 18th, a report was received stating that "a pregnant woman being treated at home for COVID-19 was experiencing vaginal bleeding and abdominal pain."

Paramedics who responded checked the woman's condition, determined that delivery was imminent, and, with the cooperation of the public health center, called 16 hospitals, but all replied that they had no available beds for the patient.

As they continued searching for a hospital with capacity and the intervals between the woman's contractions shortened, making further delay impossible, they ultimately decided to assist the delivery inside the ambulance under the guidance of fire medical personnel.

Using the delivery kit equipped in the ambulance, the paramedics assisted the birth, and at around 1:36 a.m., the woman gave birth to a healthy baby boy.

The paramedics maintained the newborn's breathing and protected his body temperature before safely transporting both mother and baby to Seoul Medical Center.

Firefighters Choi Soo-min and Park Eun-jung of Yangju Fire Station, who assisted with the delivery, said, "It was an opportunity to feel the preciousness of life and the fulfillment of emergency rescue activities," sharing their experience of the situation.

Yangju Fire Station Chief Park Mi-sang encouraged the two personnel, saying, "I am proud of you all for preserving the precious life and body of the patient through correct judgment and emergency treatment at the scene."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.