13-Year-Old Gives Birth In Helicopter Ambulance

ZimNow Reporter

A 13-year-old girl gave birth in a helicopter ambulance while being airlifted from Maphisa Hospital to United Bulawayo Hospitals after suffering birth complications.

The high-stakes delivery occurred just seven minutes after takeoff, forcing medical staff to perform an emergency procedure midair.

Dr. Marshall Kahari, the attending physician, described the scene as "a race against time" in the cramped aircraft. Both the young mother and newborn were stabilized upon landing.

Police have indicated that they are investigating the matter to identify the person who impregnated the girl and let justice take its course.

A previous case of a minor girl’s pregnancy that seized public interest after the police arrested her father ended when DNA tests proved a 13-year-old cousin was the baby daddy.

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The incident highlights Zimbabwe’s escalating teen pregnancy epidemic. The country records over 4,000 teen pregnancies month, with 1 in 3 girls married before 18, according to various recent reports.

Matabeleland South, where the incident occurred, has one of the highest rates of child marriages and sexual violence against minors.