BY MARK McKELVEY

TYRONE'S lack of maternity facilities were again highlighted at the weekend when a Castlederg mother gave birth in a lay-by following a failed early morning dash to the Erne Hospital in Enniskillen.

Elaine Wood went into labour at 5am on Saturday morning and 15 minutes later was in an ambulance on the way to Enniskillen. With the baby not prepared to wait the ambulance was forced stop at the side of the road on the Ederney side of Scraghey Mountain where she had a 7 lb 7 oz baby girl who they have named Chelsey.

Thankfully both mother and child are safe and well and were able to return home later that evening, however Elaine expressed if there had of been maternity cover at the Tyrone County Hospital she would have made it there on time.

This was the fourth serious maternity related incident since the turn of the year, with mothers having given birth on both a bathroom and kitchen floor while another was fortunate to get to the Tyrone County Hospital were no maternity cover exists.

Elaine explained Saturday morning's drama, "We had to stop on two occasions, the first was ten minutes into the journey when the ambulance driver came in to check me as I was ready to push.

"We then had to stop again a not long after and the baby was born in a lay-by just past Scraghey on the road to Ederney at 5.48am."

Having spent over half an hour in the ambulance before the baby was born Elaine expressed in that time they could have got a lot closer to the hospital in Omagh if not reached it as they live only a 25 minute drive from the County Hospital.

Elaine who has a three year old son Matthew praised the ambulance staff on behalf of herself and her husband Gary, "The ambulance staff were excellent and so were the staff at the Erne when I arrived.

"I told the ambulance crew that my contractions were only four minutes apart and the paramedic told me in 17 years service he had never delivered a baby and wasn't going to start now.

"He kept me calm as he knew I was getting a bit panicky in case something did go wrong. He was really brilliant making jokes to put me at ease at a time that was very stressful for me. This illustrates fully why a 24 hour ambulance service is needed in Castlederg."

Elaine expressed her full support to the hospital campaign and especially the return of maternity services in Omagh before a tragedy happens.

She declared, "All these previous stories about other mothers not making it to hospital in this area have all been lucky enough that there has been no complications. If we carry on like this there will be some stage when everything wont go to plan and could cost a babies or mother's life.

West Tyrone Independent Assembly member Dr Kieran Deeny has been vocal on this issue for some time concerning the previous three incidents, expressed that this latest near miss exemplifies further the need for maternity facilities in Omagh, describing our health cover as "primitive".

"It is only a matter of time that a baby is born is foetal distress, and if this happens there is a need for expert help and it is only the grace of God that we have not had a situation that required that — yet," declared Dr Deeny.

He continued, "A major contributory factor of post natal depression is stress during pregnancy and a stressful labour. This uncertainty where babies will be born is actually causing a lot of ill health by putting the mother under extreme pressure, stress and worry that no mother should be exposed to in this day and age. This doesn't happen anywhere else in Northern Ireland and shouldn't happen here."

Meanwhile an Ambulance Service spokesperson also congratulated the crew, "NIAS is delighted to have been of assistance to this young mother in her time of need and join with her in saying well done and thanks to the crew involved.

"The fact that they were able to keep her calm through what was a very quick labour is testament to the training provided and reflects well on themselves as caring individuals, knowing just what to say and do at the right time.

"We hope the mother and baby are both doing well and wish them all the best for the future."