Picture a rumbling ambulance, sirens blazing through rural Sindh. Inside? A team of EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians), a mother in full labour, and the faint hope they’ll reach the hospital before the much-awaited guest makes an entrance on the stretcher.
Welcome to the SIEHS 1122 show, a free ambulance service that’s become an unexpected birthing centre for many. While it’s not a traditional maternity ward, this vital service arrives right on time, offering a much-needed lifeline.
Since August 9, 2021, “HOPE” ambulances have helped deliver over 400 babies right in their backseats. This includes around 97 births in 2024 alone, and nearly 100 already this year (2025), making these 1122 ambulance births a true beacon of hope.
Sindh’s rural landscape isn’t exactly brimming with neonatal NICUs. Around 60% of women give birth outside health facilities, and 30% receive no prenatal care at all. Meanwhile, maternal mortality rates are screaming higher than Sindh’s heatwaves—three times the UN’s SDG target.
In that context, an ambulance mid-birth isn’t terrifying, it’s life-saving. The 1122 free ambulance service operates across over 30 districts in Sindh. There is hope in such times. And if there are complications or the baby is about to be delivered, SIEHS EMTs take permission from the parents or husband and proceed with the delivery inside the ambulance.
SIEHS ambulances are so well-equipped and the EMTs so expertly trained, even premature babies have made their first cries on board.
In the quiet pre-dawn hours of October 13, 2024, a call for help came in from rural Badin. A young woman in labour needed urgent care, fast. Within minutes, a SIEHS free ambulance was racing through the dark. But the baby wasn’t waiting.
As her contractions grew stronger, the EMTs inside the Hope ambulance sprang into action. With steady hands, calm voices, and her family’s consent, they prepared for what would be the most unforgettable ride of her life.
At 4:15 AM, near Khoski bypass, a healthy baby boy took his first breath, right there in the ambulance. The mother and newborn were safely taken to RHC Nindo for care, both stable and smiling. He was baby number 233 born in a SIEHS ambulance since August 2021. But for that family, in that moment, he was number one.
It’s stories like this that define the speed and heart behind SIEHS. With an average dispatch time of just 148 seconds — yes, less than three minutes — the 1122 free ambulance service is more than a ride; it’s a lifeline. Backed by a fleet of 461 ambulances across Sindh, SIEHS reaches those who need it most, when they need it most.
Who would have thought a “free ambulance service” would also mean “Delivery Room”? SIEHS has never hesitated to provide all the care possible in critical moments, with undeniable success. When seconds matter, it helps to know there’s a team trained, equipped, and ready to deliver — literally.
If you ever face a health emergency in Sindh, just dial 1122. This free ambulance service is already on the way.
