Two midwives at the Jasikan Municipal Hospital have assisted a pregnant woman in safely delivering a baby at the roadside at White House Junction, a suburb of Jasikan in the Oti Region. 

The midwives, Ms Monica Fiati and Ms Francisca Logosu, both of the hospital’s Labour Ward, responded to a distress call on Saturday, August 15, that a woman in labour had been stranded at the junction while making her way to the hospital. 

Narrating the incident to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Ms Fiati said the woman, identified as Ms Mukaila Talahatu, was already in advanced labour when the alert was received. 

She said she and Ms Logosu immediately rushed to the scene in her vehicle to provide emergency assistance. 

“By the time we got there, we realised that the baby’s head had already emerged, so we quickly assisted the mother to complete the delivery,” she said. 

Ms Fiati said the delivery was successfully completed at the roadside, after which the mother and her newborn were transported to the Jasikan Municipal Hospital for further medical assessment and care. 

She explained that the mother developed a minor complication after delivery but was receiving the necessary medical attention alongside her baby. 

Ms Fiati commended members of the public who alerted the hospital and assisted during the emergency. 

She urged pregnant women and their families to seek medical care promptly when labour begins and to make adequate transportation arrangements ahead of the expected delivery date to avoid delays in reaching health facilities. 

Ms Talahatu told the GNA that she visited the hospital on Friday, August 14, and was advised to return home because she was not yet due for delivery. 

She said at about 0300 hours on Saturday, August15, she began experiencing labour pains and attempted to contact her sister to help secure a vehicle to take her to the hospital, but the attempt was unsuccessful. 

According to her, her sister later arrived and they decided to walk towards the hospital in the hope of getting a vehicle along the way. 

Ms Talahatu said that upon reaching White House Junction, the baby’s head emerged, prompting her sister to seek immediate assistance. 

Ms Linda Ofori, 39, an eyewitness and owner of the White House Restaurant, where the incident occurred, said she heard someone screaming at about 0411 hours while she was asleep. 

Although initially frightened, she said she gathered the courage to go outside, where she found the pregnant woman in labour with the baby’s head already emerging. 

Ms Ofori said she advised the woman’s sister to rush to the Jasikan Zongo area to look for a vehicle to transport her to the hospital. 

She explained that when a vehicle eventually arrived, it became evident that the situation was critical, leading the driver and the woman’s sister to proceed to the Jasikan Municipal Hospital to seek professional assistance. 

Ms Ofori said a midwife later arrived at the scene in her vehicle and safely assisted the woman in delivering the baby before conveying both mother and child to the hospital for further care. 

“The midwives did a good job and need to be appreciated,” she added. 

The incident highlights the importance of prompt emergency response and the availability of skilled birth attendants in ensuring safe childbirth, particularly when access to health facilities is delayed.