A 16-year-old girl from a remote village nearly four hours from Zimba Town in Southern Province has undergone a life-saving emergency Caesarean section after developing serious complications during labour.

Her case is one of three high-risk obstetric emergencies successfully managed at Zimba Mission Hospital by a specialist team deployed by the Zambia Flying Doctor Service (ZFDS).

The team was led by General Surgeon Dr. Emmanuel Siachaya, who attended to the teenager from the Nyawa area after she exceeded her due date.

Labour was induced, but after 24 hours there was no progress. A medical assessment confirmed cephalopelvic disproportion — a condition in which the pelvis is too small to allow for safe vaginal delivery leaving doctors with no option but to perform an emergency Caesarean section.

Both mother and baby survived the procedure and are recovering well. Health workers say her case reflects a broader pattern in rural communities, where young mothers face disproportionately higher risks during pregnancy and childbirth, often with limited access to specialist care.

The second case involved a 27-year-old mother of five who had experienced repeated contraceptive failure and short intervals between pregnancies. After receiving counselling, she requested a bilateral tubal ligation,a permanent surgical procedure to prevent further pregnancies. She indicated that she had completed her family, and spousal consent was obtained before the procedure was performed.

The third case involved a 43-year-old woman who travelled approximately 50 kilometres from Njabalombe. She presented with a breech pregnancy ,where the baby is positioned feet-first rather than head-first and underwent a Caesarean section, during which a tubal ligation was also performed.It was her ninth pregnancy.

Medical risk factors included her age, high parity, and gestational diabetes. Her husband also provided consent for the procedure.

ZFDS is currently undertaking routine and specialised medical outreach services in Zimba District for a period of seven (7) days, continuing its mission to bridge the healthcare gap in hard-to-reach communities.