Police officers at New Brighton police station did not expect to help an expectant woman deliver a baby when they clocked in for work on Friday (16 December 2022).
The officers were alarmed when a pregnant a 25-year-old woman walked into the police station at past 10h00pm with a request for an ambulance.
Apparently the pregnant woman is from Mdantsane and was left stranded at the Gqeberha police after being dropped off there. It is believed that she decided to stay at the police station for her safety as she could no longer proceed with her journey to Plettenberg Bay due to lack of money.
She alerted the officers that she was about to deliver the baby, and immediately the Community Service Centre (CSC) commander, Sgt Khayakazi Jodwana sprung into action contacting the ambulance service.
Delayed response
The area was experiencing rolling blackouts at the time.
Sgt. Jodwana and another female civilian assisted the expectant women in giving birth when the ambulance failed to arrive on time. The woman gave birth to a baby boy in the early hours of Saturday morning (17 December 2022)
The sergeant and other colleagues ran to the nearest hospital to get assistance for the mother, but with no luck.
A police vehicle was then dispatched to seek for help from another hospital.
The ambulance arrived and the medical personnel cut the umbilical cord and both mother and child were taken to hospital for further treatment.
Upon witnessing the turn of events, people at the police station decided to donate some money to the woman so she could safely proceed with her journey to Plettenberg bay.
The Acting District Commissioner, Brigadier Ronald Koll commended the members for their act of kindness.
“It is not every day that our police officers are faced with such situations however given the circumstances, they ensured a safe birth and managed to calm the frantic and frightened mother. They also made sure that she was comfortable and that the baby was kept warm while waiting for professional medical assistance. Good police-community relations are imperative for gaining trust between police and its citizens. The goodwill displayed by the members towards the civilian woman is commendable.”
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