Photo: Mentally Unstable Woman Welcomes Baby on the Road in Broad Daylight

A mentally-ill pregnant woman has shocked many observers after she went into labour in broad daylight and gave birth on the road, in Calabar.

On Saturday, the yet-to-be identified pregnant woman went into labour at about 3:50pm along Marian Road, one the busiest outlets in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

According to an eyewitness, Umoh, who was at a shop around the scene of the incident, the woman had been a familiar face in the neighbourhood before she got pregnant, Punch reports.

Umoh said, “She was a familiar face around this vicinity, but after a while, we did not see her for some time. She only resurfaced with pregnancy. I think she was raped.

“She returned some days ago and sat on the spot where she gave birth. We noticed that she had become restless since Thursday, but because we were not communicating with her, no one knew it was the labour pain that was disturbing her.

“It was when the baby started coming out that people called the health workers, who came here to assist her. The workers’ swift response also helped in easing the process for her.”

She was later taken to the General Hospital in Calabar at the instance of the Cross River State Commissioner for Health, Inyang Asibong.

“The Commissioner for Health responded immediately by going to the scene personally with an ambulance to handle the situation. On arrival, she took the mother and the baby to the General Hospital, Calabar, for expert medical attention,” another source said.

There was a mild drama, however before the team left for the general hospital as the mentally-ill woman refused to follow them.

Her friend,  who is also mentally unstable, was able to convince her to follow the medical team to the hospital.

Photo credit: Punchng