Editor in chief at IamExpat Media
A woman in Essen in North Rhine-Westphalia gave birth to a baby on board a bus earlier this month, after her labour progressed unexpectedly quickly. The baby is doing well, but the mother has accused the bus driver of not reacting appropriately to the situation and insisting on completing his route.
According to a report in WDR, the woman contacted 112 when she went into labour but was told there were no ambulances available to transport her to the hospital, and she would have to find her own way there. Since the couple don’t own a car, they were forced to travel on public transport.
However, the baby was in too much of a rush to wait out the journey. The woman’s labour progressed rapidly during the ride, and by the time the bus reached its final stop, the father had to ask the other passengers to get off to give them some privacy. The baby, named Milan, was born at the bus station at Essen-Steele soon after - although we're not sure if this detail will appear on the birth certificate!
However, the family has accused the bus driver of not taking the situation seriously enough, and trying to finish his route rather than stopping the bus. According to WDR, the bus driver also neglected to get off the bus when the father asked the other passengers to vacate. The mother has further accused him of leaving the bus doors open while she was giving birth, depriving her of privacy.
Ruhrbahn, the transport association that runs the bus route, declined to comment on the incident when approached by WDR. A spokesperson for the Essen emergency services told WDR, “Since the amniotic sac had not burst, there was no indication for an ambulance and an emergency doctor. In this situation, you can still go to the hospital to give birth to the child there.”
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