Indigenous baby is born in an ambulance in AC with the help of a health worker: 'Regratifying'

An indigenous baby from the Kaxinawá ethnic group was born in an ambulance from the Mobile Emergency Care Service (Samu), in the Tauari community, rural area of ​​Tarauacá, around 400 km from Rio Branco, this Thursday (12). Unable to get to the maternity ward in time, the mother gave birth inside the vehicle and was helped by a health worker.

Antonia Caisla dos Santos Barbosa, the agent who attended to the woman and child, says that she provided the first service using improvised materials. The pregnant woman was at the community port and as soon as the ambulance arrived, she went into labor. Mother and baby are doing well.

"I was visiting more isolated communities when they called me saying that a woman had arrived at the port and was going into labor. I asked them to call Samu, but they said that the ambulance had already arrived, so I ran there and it was my first birth", she reports.

The agent asked that the woman be taken to the community health unit, but there was no team available for care due to problems related to transportation. After the first procedures, mother and son went to the maternity ward in Tarauacá, where they were admitted at 2:48 pm.

When Caisla arrived at the scene, the baby had already been born inside the ambulance. "As soon as I got there, she had already given birth. I just finished the procedures, observed the baby and took basic care so I could take her to the city," he said.

According to Caisla, the ambulance only has one driver, who does not have specific training to provide first aid or follow emergency procedures.

"There was nothing [in postpartum equipment]. The ambulance stopped right in front of a store and we used scissors from there, alcohol, cotton and even those garters to tie money to the belly button", he says.

Despite the unexpected situation, she managed to carry out the procedures. The baby cried, received first care, was dressed in clothes donated by residents and had the umbilical cord tied. "It's a very needy family, because they are Kaxinawá, they didn't even understand what I was saying", he says.

"Thank God everything went well. As we live where we don't have medical care very often, we have to learn a little bit of everything. The neighbors also brought the clothes because she didn't have anything for the baby. We put him in some clothes and he was very smart", he says.

The Tauari community has a Basic Health Unit that bears the same name as the community. To provide care, professionals are moved from the city to serve residents in a location 2 hours from Tarauacá.

According to Caisla, services usually occur three times a week, but the frequency is not always maintained due to transport difficulties and access conditions to the region. "Sometimes because the road is bad, the car breaks down. And they don't manage to come every week", he highlights.

The unit has services from professionals such as a dentist, doctor, nurse and nursing technician, according to the community agent. Caisla has worked in the region for almost ten years and says that the lack of frequent assistance means that residents have to deal with unexpected situations.

"I managed to finish the procedures, but I was still shaking. It was very gratifying to know that I helped bring a life back. Fortunately, recently I took a technical health agent course and thank God this knowledge helped a lot", he adds.