RAWALPINDI, Aug 15: A pregnant woman stuck in the worst traffic jam in the city on Wednesday had to seek help from an ambulance, to reach District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) from Katchery Chowk. But as luck would have it: she gave birth to a baby boy in the ambulance, while on the road.

Ms Misbah 25, wife of Shahid Mehmood and her sister-in-law were going to the DHQ hospital from their house on Adiala road.

While in the taxi, she started complaining of severe labour pain.

But on the way, they got stuck in a traffic jam. However, on seeing the pregnant woman in trouble, her husband and sister-in-law Ms Sheereen Akhtar thought it better to call the Rescue 1122 ambulance then to remain stuck in the traffic jam.

“We never thought we would be stuck in traffic. I was so afraid it would harm the baby and mother. I asked my brother to call the ambulance and leave the taxi as traffic wardens were looking helpless,” Ms Sheeren Akhtar said.

She said responding to the plight of the pregnant woman, the ambulance arrived on the scene and the woman was shifted into the ambulance.

“Despite the fact that the emergency siren of the ambulance was blaring, the traffic did not budge. Ms Misbah gave birth to her third baby boy inside the ambulance, near Liaquat Bagh,” Ms Sheeren Akhtar said.

She further said there was no other female medical staff in the ambulance, except herself when her brother’s wife gave birth to her third child.

Shahid Mehmood, the husband of the pregnant woman, who is a ward boy at the DHQ hospital, when contacted said: “We were on the way to the hospital in a taxi, when my wife started complaining of labour pains. On seeing the traffic jam, I called the ambulance to reach the hospital, but my wife gave birth to the baby boy in traffic.”

He further said, he was happy on reaching the hospital and after his wife and newborn baby was examined by doctors, who declared them in good health.