On a domestic flight from Saudi Arabia, a Bangladeshi traveller gave birth to a child. The woman in her thirties was on a Saudia plane flying from the north-western city of Tabuk to the port city of Jeddah on Friday when she experienced birth pangs, Saudi news portal Sabq reported. When she called on the crew to assist, the aircraft flew at a height of 36,000 feet.
The passengers on board included two football teams escorted by doctors, who assisted in the birth through help from another traveller who translated medical instructions to the woman until she safely gave birth to her baby, according to Saudi news site Akhbar24. The doctors decided not to cut the baby’s umbilical cord until a medical support team at the airport fully handled the case.
According to the King Abulaziz airport in Jeddah, a woman was giving delivery on board, according to a notification from the air control tower. In response, the pilot of the aeroplane was instructed to land at the closest airport gate in order to give the woman emergency medical attention.
Emergency female Saudi medics were sent to provide the woman and her infant with the care they needed.
They were taken to a nearby hospital once it was determined that their conditions were stable.
The King Abdulaziz airport was the first in the kingdom to have female medics on duty for emergency situations earlier this year.
The trainees participated in the inaugural training offered by the kingdom's airports to earn the right to work at the airport, which serves as a hub for foreign Muslims entering Saudi Arabia for the yearly Hajj and Umrah or minor pilgrimages.
The three-month programme included both theoretical and hands-on instruction.
The Jeddah Airports Company launched the training with the goal of preparing the participants to handle urgent and serious situations involving airport patrons, mostly Hajj and Umrah pilgrims.
As part of significant developments in the country, Saudi Arabia has actively undertaken a drive to empower women in several spheres of society in recent years.