WP chief Pritam Singh now father of 2; baby girl delivered by emergency caesarian

SINGAPORE - Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh, 42, has become the father of a baby girl, his second daughter.

He shared the news in a Facebook post on Friday (Aug 17), in which he described how he was "thrown into the fearful unknown" two weeks ago when his wife had to go for an emergency caesarian operation.

The Aljunied GRC MP said he had accompanied his wife, Ms Lovleen Kaur Walia, to the hospital for a routine scan as she was due to give birth a couple of weeks later. Their three-year-old daughter was with them.

"We were planning to go to JB (Johor Baru) straight after to unwind. It was like any other day and we were looking forward to it," he wrote.

But everything changed within minutes of the scan on Aug 3, he said.

The baby was in distress, and their gynaecologist ordered an immediate emergency caesarian section.

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"I was afraid. For my wife, my unborn child and the consequences that could follow," Mr Singh said.

"I don't usually pray in times of crisis as I think of prayer as a constant act... But when you are gripped with fear, prayer inevitably comes to you. And so I prayed," he added.

Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh speaking to graduates of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the National University of Singapore, on July 19, 2018.

Mr Singh told The Straits Times he accompanied his wife into the operating theatre, and estimated that the procedure took about 45 minutes.

Thankfully, he said, both his wife and baby came through and things look positive for both of them. Mother and daughter were discharged from hospital on Aug 6.

"It's just a wonderful feeling," he said of bringing his wife and baby home.

"The house wasn't completely made ready. A little more work for me," Mr Singh quipped.

He added on Facebook:"As I sit and reflect over what happened, things could have been very different. But today, I am a proud husband of a wonder woman who went through an ordeal and came out tougher than ever, and a proud father of two beautiful girls."

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.