Woman gives birth in police station

MARABELLA police officers got an unexpected lesson in midwifery and the police station was temporarily converted into a delivery ward yesterday when 21-year-old Joanne Persad arrived at the station and through tears of pain, told a policewoman that she was in labour. Minutes later, Persad gave birth to a healthy baby girl, weighing just over two kilos. Speaking to Newsday at the maternity ward of the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH), a relieved Persad gave praise to the Almighty for giving her a healthy child. Persad, now a mother of two, said she was being driven from her Rio Claro home to the SFGH after she realised she was close to giving birth. She was accompanied by her husband. However the winding and slow-moving traffic along the Southern Main Road in Marabella proved too much for Persad, who was taken to the police station around 11.30 am. On hearing a woman’s screams of pain, PCs Chance and Pierre went to see what was going on and took the pregnant, crying woman into the police station. Insp Blackman, Sgt Castillo and Sgt Siew also assisted.

When the baby was born, a beaming Sgt Castillo had the honour of cutting the baby’s umbilical cord. Mother and child were quickly taken to the SFGH in an E-999 Rapid Response vehicle. “I am very relieved, glad and  happy that everything went well,” the smiling woman said as she cradled her newborn in her arms. Persad said she had not decided on the name for her daughter.. However she said she was considering naming the baby after one of the women police officers who helped during the birthing. Persad already has a two year-old daughter. “Two children are enough. I’m not  going to try for a boy,” a smiling Persad said.