Savar traffic chaos forces woman to give birth on roadside

A 32-year-old woman gave birth on a road near Savar Bazar Bus Stand after being stuck in severe traffic congestion while being taken to a hospital yesterday evening (2 August).

The mother, 32-year-old Mst Rajiya Khatun, is in stable condition, while her premature baby has been admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

According to her husband, garment worker Md Amir Hamza, illegal roadside shops, wrong-way vehicles and poor traffic management caused the delay, leaving them stranded although the hospital was only a short distance away.

Hamza told The Business Standard today (3 August) that his wife, who was due to give birth in about two months, began experiencing abdominal pain while he was at work yesterday afternoon.

After initially being refused leave, he said he obtained permission from higher authorities and left work around 5pm.

He returned home and took his wife by rickshaw to a diagnostic centre in Shimultala. As her condition worsened, staff there advised them to take her to a hospital immediately.

They then set off for Super Medical Hospital (Pvt) Limited along the service lane of the Dhaka-Aricha Highway.

Hamza said they became trapped in heavy traffic near Savar Bazar Bus Stand, despite being only a few minutes from the hospital.

"Her condition became critical, but no one responded to my pleas for help," he said.

As he and a relative tried to carry her, Rajiya gave birth on the roadside and lost consciousness.

Hamza said a passer-by provided a bedsheet to cover his wife before he ran to the nearby hospital to seek help.

Hospital staff arrived with a stretcher, rescued the mother and newborn and took them to the hospital, where duty doctors removed the placenta.

"I live in a country where a critical patient cannot reach a hospital on time because of road chaos. Nothing could be more tragic," Hamza said.

Rajiya said she remembered suffering severe pain while travelling to the hospital before losing consciousness on the road.

Hospital manager Md Asif Hamza said staff immediately responded after receiving information about the incident.

"The mother and baby were brought to the hospital. The placenta was still attached, which our duty doctor removed. Both are stable, but the premature baby has been admitted to the NICU," he said.

Another hospital manager, Md Humayun Kabir, said traffic conditions on the Dhaka-Aricha Highway service lane had deteriorated because of illegal roadside shops, illegal parking and wrong-way vehicles.

He said the incident highlighted the difficulties patients face in reaching hospitals.

Asked about the traffic congestion, Dhaka District Superintendent of Police Shamima Parveen said the traffic department was working to reduce road congestion and taking action against illegal parking.

She said she had not been aware of yesterday's incident but had instructed the traffic department to remain more alert and take necessary measures