A 26-year-old COVID-19 positive woman gave birth to a baby girl in an ambulance on her way to a hospital in northern Malappuram district of Kerala on Sunday, thanks to the presence of mind of emergency care personnel.

The woman, a native of neighbouring Tamil Nadu, and her newborn were doing well now, health department sources said.

This is the third such instance of COVID-19 positive women giving birth in Kerala Ambulance Network for Injured Victims (KANIV-108) vehicles.

State Health Minister K K Shailaja congratulated the emergency care staff of the ambulance who intervened in time and provided expert care to save the lives of the mother and baby.

According to health department sources, the woman was admitted to the Perinthalmanna General Hospital in Malappuram for delivery in the morning.

As she was tested positive for the novel coronavirus, doctors directed shifting her to the Manjeri Medical College Hospital for expert care.

While on the way to Manjeri hospital in the ambulance with the support of two emergency care staff, the woman developed labour pain.

The ambulance staff parked the vehicle on the wayside and made arrangements for the delivery.

After she delivered a baby girl, they gave first aid and shifted the mother and the infant to the medical college hospital at the earliest, health department sources added.

Earlier, in Malappuramand Kasaragod, coronavirus infected women had given safe birth to babies while being rushed to hospitals in ambulances.