Ridgway EMT Crew Deliver 3rd Baby
- 2 hours ago
- 1 min read
Elk County is experiencing significant impacts from regional maternity ward closures, creating what is being called a “maternity care desert.”
This situation forces expectant mothers to travel much further for vital services. Ridgway Ambulance Corporation has delivered three babies in the back of an ambulance in the last 18 months, with two of these births occurring since the closure of the maternity unit at Penn Highlands Elk.
The trend highlights the challenges faced by emergency services as medical facilities are no longer available locally. The situation is concerning for crews because emergency medical procedures, such as an emergency C-section, cannot be performed outside of a hospital setting.