COVID-19 positive mum safely delivers a healthy baby girl in Dubai

Dubai: A COVID-19 positive woman underwent a successfully delivery at a Dubai hospital to deliver a healthy baby girl.

Syeda Fariya, a COVID-19 positive pregnant woman, successfully delivered a baby girl who was COVID-19 negative — thanks to the efforts of Dr Bushra Gul, the specialist gynaecologist and obstetrician, at Zulekha Hospital, Dubai. Fariya was to deliver on June 13, but on June 5, she had to be rushed to hospital as she was suffering from preeclampsia and high blood pressure. She was to undergo a planned Caesarean section to deliver her baby. However, as soon as she was admitted, she started having contractions and the foetus went into distress. So Dr Gul and the team had to conduct an emergency C-section.

Emergency Caesarean section performed

Although the mother was COVID-19 positive, the doctors, nurses and staff at Zulekha Hospital did not hesitate to do their best for her and her baby.

Fariya’s case was critical and the clinical team was up to the challenge. Talking about the precautions her team took to handle an expectant mother who was COVID-19 positive, Dr Gul said: “Before Syeda’s arrival at the hospital, the medical team put a plan in place for her care, which included a separate route for her so that she did not come into contact with the other patients. Staff were assigned specific roles for the patient’s care and everyone knew what they had to do before she even arrived at the hospital. No time was wasted; she was examined immediately upon arrival and the emergency delivery was carried out via C-section.”

Safe delivery

Dr Sarwesh Kumar, the anaesthesia specialist, and the operation theatre team got down to work immediately, preparing the patient for the operation. Within the next hour, the baby was delivered safely with full COVID-19 protocol in place.

The baby needed support in her early days and was admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), under the care of Dr Deepu Abraham, the consultant neonatology and paediatrician, and his team. The baby was discharged on June 13, in good health.

A delighted new mother, who was discharged on June 8 and who subsequently tested negative for COVID-19, said: “My baby and I are blessed to have received such amazing care from a competent team of doctors, nurses and hospital staff who did their utmost to take care of us in our critical situation. I did not feel any discrimination for being COVID-19 positive. Instead, the hospital team did not hesitate to take all the necessary steps to take care of us.”