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13 year old gives birth mid-air in Helidrive rescue
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In a breathtaking display of medical precision and courage, a 13-year-old girl gave birth mid-flight aboard a Helidrive National Air Rescue Service helicopter as she was being airlifted from Maphisa Hospital to United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH). The high-stakes delivery, which took place last week above the rugged terrain of Matabeleland South, was successfully carried out by an airborne medical team - turning a routine transfer into a dramatic race against time.
The emergency call came through while the Helidrive team was on standby at Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport. According to Dr Marshall Kahari, who led the rescue mission, the call centre reported that the teenage patient was in active labour with a breech baby, and that Maphisa Hospital was unable to perform the required caesarean section due to lack of theatre facilities.
"We immediately took off. It took us about 27 minutes to reach Maphisa," Dr Kahari said. "The patient was in her first pregnancy, Para 0 Gravida 1. She was 5 cm dilated and in active labour. All her vitals were stable, so we proceeded with the transfer."
After lifting off from Maphisa en route to Bulawayo, the team - which included Intensive Coronary Care Nurse Kelelo Maphala - closely monitored the young patient, who was stable at the time of takeoff. But just seven minutes into the flight, the situation escalated dramatically.
"She began having contractions at one-minute intervals, each lasting about two minutes," Dr Kahari recalled. "She suddenly reached between her thighs. On examination, I saw the baby's right leg was out - it was a footling breech. I immediately knew the delivery could not wait."
Footling breech deliveries are considered high-risk due to the possibility of umbilical cord prolapse, foetal hypoxia, and physical injury during birth. These situations often require caesarean sections, but Dr Kahari had no such option available at 2,000 feet.
"With only 20 to 25 minutes left before landing, the delivery had to happen in the air. I had to perform the delivery carefully and precisely to avoid complications," he said.
Against the backdrop of the Matabeleland sky and with the helicopter hurtling toward Bulawayo, Dr Kahari safely delivered a healthy baby boy. Upon landing at Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport, an ambulance swiftly transported the new mother and baby to UBH for further care.
"At UBH, we took the mother to the delivery room where the tear was sutured. The baby was placed in a resuscitaire and assessed by a paediatrician. Fortunately, both mother and child were healthy and stable," Dr Kahari said.
The mother was discharged the following day - a testament to the success of a mission that could have easily ended in tragedy were it not for the expertise and composure of the Helidrive team.
A resuscitaire, the device used post-delivery, provides vital support for newborns needing assistance with breathing, ensuring that both baby and mother received the best care possible during and after the high-altitude emergency.
The dramatic rescue has been hailed as a miracle and a shining example of the life-saving work carried out by Helidrive and its airborne medical professionals. For a young mother and her newborn son, it was not only a flight to safety - it was a flight into life.
The emergency call came through while the Helidrive team was on standby at Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport. According to Dr Marshall Kahari, who led the rescue mission, the call centre reported that the teenage patient was in active labour with a breech baby, and that Maphisa Hospital was unable to perform the required caesarean section due to lack of theatre facilities.
"We immediately took off. It took us about 27 minutes to reach Maphisa," Dr Kahari said. "The patient was in her first pregnancy, Para 0 Gravida 1. She was 5 cm dilated and in active labour. All her vitals were stable, so we proceeded with the transfer."
After lifting off from Maphisa en route to Bulawayo, the team - which included Intensive Coronary Care Nurse Kelelo Maphala - closely monitored the young patient, who was stable at the time of takeoff. But just seven minutes into the flight, the situation escalated dramatically.
"She began having contractions at one-minute intervals, each lasting about two minutes," Dr Kahari recalled. "She suddenly reached between her thighs. On examination, I saw the baby's right leg was out - it was a footling breech. I immediately knew the delivery could not wait."
Footling breech deliveries are considered high-risk due to the possibility of umbilical cord prolapse, foetal hypoxia, and physical injury during birth. These situations often require caesarean sections, but Dr Kahari had no such option available at 2,000 feet.
"With only 20 to 25 minutes left before landing, the delivery had to happen in the air. I had to perform the delivery carefully and precisely to avoid complications," he said.
Against the backdrop of the Matabeleland sky and with the helicopter hurtling toward Bulawayo, Dr Kahari safely delivered a healthy baby boy. Upon landing at Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport, an ambulance swiftly transported the new mother and baby to UBH for further care.
"At UBH, we took the mother to the delivery room where the tear was sutured. The baby was placed in a resuscitaire and assessed by a paediatrician. Fortunately, both mother and child were healthy and stable," Dr Kahari said.
The mother was discharged the following day - a testament to the success of a mission that could have easily ended in tragedy were it not for the expertise and composure of the Helidrive team.
A resuscitaire, the device used post-delivery, provides vital support for newborns needing assistance with breathing, ensuring that both baby and mother received the best care possible during and after the high-altitude emergency.
The dramatic rescue has been hailed as a miracle and a shining example of the life-saving work carried out by Helidrive and its airborne medical professionals. For a young mother and her newborn son, it was not only a flight to safety - it was a flight into life.
Source - The Herald
