Health workers help deliver twins on ambulance boat

IPOH: An ambulance boat ride is a routine matter for nurse-midwife Nur Shaffriza Mohd Shaffril when she visits expectant mothers in the Pos Kemar Orang Asli settlement – though she never expected to help deliver a baby, let alone twins, on board the vessel.

On Saturday (Jan 15) morning, Nur Shaffriza, who is attached to Pos Kemar Clinic, visited the mother at her house in the settlement when the 31-year-old woman started having labour pains.

Nur Shaffriza said the woman was taken to the clinic where it was decided that she should go to Gerik Hospital, about two hours away, including a 45-minutes boat ride across Tasik Banding.

"We were on the ambulance boat when she started having contractions. I found that she was fully dilated and ready to give birth.

"It happened so fast – the first baby was born at 11.20am and the second, five minutes later.

"Alhamdulillah, all the equipment needed for childbirth was ready so we managed to execute the delivery process well,” she told Bernama when contacted.

Nur Shaffriza said the delivery of the twin boys was a valuable experience as it was the first time she had done so in her 16 years of service.

Ambulance driver Mohd Hisham Shamsuddin, who also witnessed the births, said he drove a team of health workers comprising medical officers, nurses and healthcare assistants together with the expectant mother from the clinic to Kemar Jetty at about 10.30am.

"I boarded the ambulance boat with them to go to Trojen Jetty where an ambulance from Gerik Hospital was waiting for us, but the woman gave birth to her twins during the 45-minute boat ride.

"I have never witnessed something like this in my four years at the Pos Kemar Clinic and it was a very beautiful experience," he said.

The Perak Health Department said in a Facebook post on Wednesday (Jan 19) that as a result of the health team's quick action, the mother – who was 35 weeks pregnant – safely gave birth to the twins weighing 2.4kg and 1.3kg.

The mother and babies were later sent to Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital in Ipoh for follow-up treatment.

Pos Kemar is an Orang Asli settlement in Gerik and boats are the main mode of transport for its residents. – Bernama