Baby birth shock for taxi driver
A Dundee taxi driver experienced the shock of his life when a passenger gave birth to a baby girl in the back of his cab.
Mr Qureshi.
- By Lisa Trainer
- Published in the Courier : 18.05.10
- Published online : 18.05.10 @ 09.59am
Aftab Alam Qureshi (38), a taxi driver with the 20 30 20 company, expected a normal shift when he picked up a couple and their young child in Douglas at 5pm on Monday.
Ali and Najwa Albeshti, from Libya, entered the taxi with their young son and asked to be taken quickly to Ninewells Hospital.
Mr Qureshi said, "I could tell the lady was close to giving birth as she was screaming and shouting and I couldn't help but feel nervous and a bit scared.
"The husband was saying to me, 'Take me to the main reception,' but I said it looked like his wife needed the labour suite as she was obviously about to give birth soon.
"The woman was kicking at my seat and screaming and every time we stopped at traffic lights people in their cars were turning their heads and they were looking anxiously into the back of my car.
"I just kept myself focused on getting the woman to the hospital to ensure she had a safe delivery."
He added, "I parked outside the labour suite and immediately the woman gave birth.
"The father had caught the baby and was holding her in his arms."
Hospital staff rushed outside to greet the couple with towels and whisk them into the labour suite.
Mr Albeshti said, "He was great. The taxi driver did everything he could to get us safely and quickly to the hospital and I'm very grateful to him."
Mr Qureshi said he was "just so glad that the baby and mother are doing well."
He said, "New life arrived today in Dundee and it all happened in the back of my taxi."
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