Last week, the news of a woman delivering a baby inside a Singapore taxi grabbed headlines. The presence of mind of the taxi driver, Addy Soon, touched hearts and won praises on social media. However, it wasn't just Addy, but several good-hearted citizens who played a key role in the birth of the baby girl.
On September 12, at around 6:15 am, Dr Chow Yuen Ho was on his weekly morning bike ride. He was with his friends on the Upper Thomson Road when he heard someone shouting for help, according to The Straits Times report.
He thought that it was just another angry motorist yelling at him for being on the road. Surprisingly, when he looked around he found a man waving a torch light on the road. He was calling out to check if anyone in their group was a doctor.
Doctor Out Cycling With Friends Helps Baby Delivery In Singapore
Dr Chow was greeted by a woman who was giving birth in the backseat of the car.
But, his initial thoughts on seeing a car parked near the bus stop at Springleaf MRT was that it was a case of an accident and medical help was needed.
The aesthetic doctor at Clifford Clinic shared that when he got into the car, he saw that the baby was already out. "Luckily, I was experienced at this," said Dr Chow.
He thanked his experience at the KK Women's and Children's Hospital, almost 20 years back, when he worked as the house officer in the obstetrics department.
He said that doctors in the department can deliver up to 30 babies in a night. All those memories flashed right in front of his eyes on that day.
"Dr Chow's Presence Made All The Difference"
Mr Muhammad Annur Mohammad, the father of the baby recounted that the presence of Dr Chow made all the difference. The new parents were naturally stressed because the baby wasn't crying at the time of the delivery.
They didn't know what was to be done and wondered if the little baby was in danger.
The doctor checked the baby's vitals and reassured Mr Muhammad that as long as his daughter was breathing well, she was perfectly fine. This allowed the tensed dad to calm down.
Dr Chow then noticed that the 31-year-old mother was dehydrated and asked his cyclist friends to help by getting her water.
In the earlier reports, we mentioned that it was just 10 minutes into the journey, and the cab had only reached the Seletar Expressway, that the pregnant lady shrieked in pain and she could feel the baby’s head coming out.
Driver Addy started to speed and soon the pregnant lady again exclaimed that half of the baby's body was already out. It was then that the driver knew that it was unlikely that they would make it to the hospital before the baby was delivered.
So, he stopped his car at Springleaf MRT station and called out for help.
The woman again shouted that half of the baby’s body was already out. By now, Addy knew that it was highly unlikely that they would make it to the hospital before the baby was delivered.
Doctor Thwarts Good Intentioned, But Ill-Advised Attempts To Help
Mr Adrian Khoo said that his cyclist friend Dr Chow also played an important role. He screened all the good-intentioned, but ill-advised attempts to help the pregnant lady.
"One of the friends suggested using their multi-tool to cut the umbilical cord," said Mr Khoo.
Dr Chow immediately stepped in and alerted that this could lead to a dangerous infection for the mum.
The ambulance came at around 6:30 am and the paramedic snipped the umbilical cord.
The couple also have two older children, aged four and one. They went on their way to the hospital as planned.
Dr Chow shared that as doctors they study hard, but rarely have such life-changing moments. "This was one such moment, and I'm grateful for it," he said.
Birth Certificate Says "Born At Bus Stop"
Muhammad says that his daughter's birth certificate states, "Born at the bus stop of Springleaf MRT."
All the people who stepped in to help agreed that it was teamwork that made this operation a success.
Mr Soon concluded by saying, "It is like what I was taught when I was young. We do good, we do well, we do it together."
Source: The Straits Times
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