Outrage in Egypt after woman gives birth on sidewalk in Qena
Legal measures had been taken to safeguard the children's wellbeing
Dubai: A wave of shock and sympathy swept through Egyptians and social media on Tuesday after images circulated showing a woman in extreme distress following childbirth on a sidewalk in Qena, Upper Egypt, local media reported. Authorities responded promptly to social media and emergency calls, rescuing the mother, her newborn, and a two-year-old child who was with her at the scene.
According to eyewitness accounts, the woman was lying near the Qena parking complex, exhausted and surrounded by birth-related blood, while bystanders rushed to help. Witnesses said she was suffering severe bleeding and extreme weakness, at one point losing consciousness, after giving birth under harsh and inhumane conditions.
Child protection authorities in Qena swiftly dispatched an ambulance, transferring the mother and her newborn to Qena General Hospital for urgent medical care. The woman was accompanied by another child, no older than two, adding to the gravity of the situation and prompting public concern about the circumstances leading to the incident.
Officials confirmed that legal measures had been taken to safeguard both children and ensure their wellbeing, while monitoring the mother’s critical condition. The identities of the woman and her children remain undisclosed, and the precise circumstances of the roadside birth are still under investigation.
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