Pregnant Woman Gives Birth on the Street After Failing to Call an Ambulance in Portugal

A 28-year-old pregnant woman gave birth on the street in Carregado after her family's repeated attempts to call an ambulance failed. The baby and mother were later hospitalized at Santarém Hospital.

The Struggle to Get Help

Soraia, the mother, was 40 weeks and five days pregnant when she went out with her parents to a pastry shop. Around 9 a.m., she started feeling contractions. Her mother immediately called the SNS24 health line to request an ambulance but was advised to go to the hospital by car instead. Desperate, they then tried calling 112, but the response was delayed and in English, making communication difficult.

A Street Birth

With no medical assistance arriving, Soraia's parents had to assist in the delivery right there on the street. "When we realized, she was already almost giving birth. So, it was me and the father who delivered the baby," the grandmother recounted. Fortunately, a nurse and a doctor who lived nearby eventually arrived to help, but the grandparents had already brought their granddaughter into the world.

Healthcare System Under Strain

The mother and baby were later taken by ambulance to Santarém Hospital. During her pregnancy, Soraia had been receiving care at the Alenquer Health Center but had requested a transfer to the Alfredo da Costa Maternity Hospital about three weeks prior. This request was denied due to overcrowding. "The doctor called my daughter two weeks ago to say the request had been denied because they had too many pregnant women in late gestation and nowhere to send them," said Isabel Moreira, the baby's grandmother.

Nationwide Issue

This incident highlights a broader issue in Portugal's healthcare system. Over the past weekend, nine gynecology and obstetrics emergency services were closed. Some hospitals were only accepting cases referred by the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM), leaving many pregnant women without immediate access to care.