Birth in Monaghan hospital

The North Eastern Health Board has said maternity services have not been reinstated at Monaghan General Hospital after it emerged that a woman was brought by ambulance to give birth there yesterday morning.

The woman, a Nigerian living at St Patrick's College asylum centre in Monaghan town, is the first to be brought by ambulance to give birth at Monaghan hospital since the suspension of maternity services in February 2001.

Only two other women have given birth at the hospital since the maternity wards closed. Both women were in such advanced states of labour that they had to be allowed give birth.

However, this is the first time a clinical decision was made by health professionals to bring a pregnant woman to the hospital to give birth.