A pregnant mentally- deranged woman living at a bus-stop at Aroma flyover bridge, Awka, Anambra State Capital, on Wednesday gave birth to a baby girl.
The woman whose name or identity could not be ascertained had started putting up at the public space around November last year, when she was first seen with the pregnancy.
She had occupied the bus-stop since then, living off rotten food from a nearby refuse dump and gifts from sympathizers.
According to one of the women who helped in the delivery, Mrs Eucharia Nwachukwu, a civil servant, the woman had gone into labour at about 8am today when she (Eucharia) was on her way to work.
She said when she got to the woman, the baby was at the point of being delivered.
“Immediately I got there, she was shouting in pain and the baby was practically out, with the placenta still connected.
“I took some of the clothes I had with me and wrapped the baby to avoid her contracting pneumonia.
“We then made arrangements and started calling officials of the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Amaku-Awka, who came and took her to the hospital where she was attended to.
“Thank God we came on time, otherwise something may have happened to the baby or the woman,” she said.
Mrs Nwachukwu however observed that during her interaction with the woman, she was talking coherently, suspecting that she may have suffered some kind of trauma that left her in the mental state she was in.
She appealed for support from government and spirited individuals to assist the mentally-deranged woman and provide for her new-borne baby.
When TNC correspondent visited the State University Teaching Hospital, Amaku-Awka, it was gathered that the woman had successfully been taken care of and the baby in good care.
According to the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Joe Akabuike, the hospital sent emergency medical team immediately they got the information but by the time they arrived the place the baby had already been delivered but the placenta had not been cut.
He revealed that the baby weighed 3.2 kg, was very healthy and well-nourished.
“We have cleaned up the baby and clothed her and taken all the necessary precaution with the relevant immunizations given.
“The woman is also hale and hearty.
On how the hospital intends to handle the fees, the CMD said their major concern was to save the woman’s life after which she will be handed over to the State Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Social Development.
“With the way she is looking, the next few days, she will be ready to go,” Akabuike said.
When our correspondent tried interrogating the woman, she spoke incoherently, unable to specify how she got pregnant.
She however said she started experiencing pains, obviously labour pains, around 7pm on Tuesday.
She identified herself as Hope Eze from Cote Di Voire but her mother was from Owerri.
She revealed that she was taken in at some point by a lady who was a sex worker and when she realized the kind of job her host does, she ran away and started sleeping on the streets.
