Constable Magda Bezuidenhout of the Kwanobuhle police station and the baby she helped deliver. Pic: Supplied
A Uitenhage police officer went beyond the badge yesterday, making an unexpected delivery in KwaNobuhle.
Constable Magda Bezuidenhout, 27, delivered a 3.66kg baby boy after being told about a woman in labour in Hoyana Road.
“She responded and found a 21-year-old woman who was about to give birth on the roadside and Bezuidenhout opened a van, and turned it into a labour van with assistance of her colleagues who brought her essentials such as water, gloves and helped a woman to deliver a 3.66kg baby,” police spokesman Sergeant Majola Nkohli said.
And this is not the first time Bezuidenhout has jumped in to lend a hand.
Already nicknamed “midwife” by KwaNobuhle residents, Bezuidenhout helped deliver a baby in December in the same area
This time, Bezuidenhout was on patrol when she was stopped and told of a woman about to give birth.
“She had been walking with stones in hand to protect herself. It was too far for her to walk so I called her and I told her to drop the stones, because she was safe now,” Bezuidenhout said. Bezuidenhout used a blanket wrapped around the soonto-be mother to make a bed in her police van.
Officers in another vehicle raced off to get supplies.
“I might not have had any training in delivering a baby, but I can safely say that I was not frightened … it was more of a blessing than anything else to bring such a little, innocent life into the world.”
Bezuidenhout said she was shocked to have been involved in two births in seven months.
“I am just glad to have been in the right place at the right time and I am just happy the baby is safe,” she added.
“I also want the residents of KwaNobuhle to know they can trust me,” she said.
Police spokesman Sergeant Majola Nkohli said: “The woman who gave birth did not want to be named, but was full of praise for Bezuidenhout.”
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