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 Kutchery 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 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 Shireen Akhtar thought it better to call 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,” Shireen 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 Akhtar said.

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

Shahid Mehmood, the husband, who is a ward boy at  DHQ hospital, when contacted, said: “We were on 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.”

He said, he was happy on reaching the hospital and after his wife and newborn baby were declared in good health.

The city traffic police said the traffic jam in the city was partly due to Ramazan shopping and heavy volume of vehicles.