Saturday January 21, 2023 | 9:00 a.m.
An aberrational case of obstetric violence was recorded last Thursday night at the Papa Francisco hospital in the city of Salta, where a pregnant woman was denied the corresponding medical attention to give birth to her daughter under the argument of “not having specialists.” in the matter. Given the surprising refusal of the health center authorities, the patient could not bear the contractions, she went into labor on the street and her baby suffered a clavicle fracture.
In the images that went viral on social networks, you can see the woman lying on the asphalt while being assisted by nurses and doctors from the hospital located in the capital of Salta. Simultaneously, the claims are heard from health personnel who had previously refused to receive the patient despite the obvious urgency. “I was about to bring her to the hospital and they did not attend her, they wanted to call an ambulance, she had to give birth in the street, the baby fell,” a woman was heard saying, visibly outraged by the hospital’s decision.
Sergio, the woman’s partner, told the local media yesterday morning that his wife began to have stomach pains, for which they got on their motorcycle and went to the nearest hospital. “She got off and while I was leaving the motorcycle she got in and then got off it because they told her there was no doctor to treat her. We were in the part of the guard, “explained the man, according to the newspaper El Tribuno.
“My wife told me to please call for an ambulance, because she couldn’t give more. I went to ask for it, but they told me to call 911,” recalled Sergio, who complied with the orders but also received a refusal. They replied that they could not do it and that he should go to the Solidarity Health Center or the Maternal and Child Center. Noticing that his wife couldn’t take the pain anymore, Sergio thought of taking a remis to get to one of the two suggested sanatoriums as quickly as possible. However, a lady who witnessed the situation offered to take them with her car. “When we lowered the cordon – his wife from him – she could no longer walk and there she broke the bag. I felt something fell and I looked down and the baby was on the floor,” she recounted.
As detailed by Sergio during his account of the events, the witnesses who were in the place went to the guard and knocked on doors and windows so that they could attend to them. Thus, according to the man’s testimony, “a doctor with a stretcher and a nurse came out, while the people began to demand them.”
Dr. Daniel Mamaní, manager of the Papa Francisco hospital, repudiated what happened and assured that this situation in emergency care should not have happened. “It is an unfortunate situation, we are doing all the corresponding investigations to sanction whoever corresponds for the non-admission of the patient. We have the record of everything that happened, ”he commented to the local media.
The patient was then transferred in an ambulance to the Maternal and Child Public Hospital, from where they specified that both she and her daughter are in good health. However, they also confirmed that the little girl suffered a clavicle fracture as a result of the impact against the asphalt.
Faced with this reprehensible episode, the Minister of Health of Salta, Federico Mangione, ordered the initiation of an administrative summary to determine who was responsible for the refusal to care for a pregnant woman who was in full labor. “We are going to carry out a thorough investigation, an administrative summary and the necessary measures will be taken so that this does not happen again. We are not going to cut only for the finer thread. We are going to go to the bone, to treat where it corresponds, ”said the official in statements shared by the social networks of the portfolio that he leads.
Likewise, Dr. Mangione confirmed that the girl also suffered a brain injury, which was studied and it was determined that it was not dangerous for the minor.
As for the criticism received by the Papa Francisco hospital for the lack of preparation and equipment for these cases, the provincial Health Minister confirmed that the place does not have a gynecologist or obstetrician because “it had been prepared to work with the COVID pandemic.” . However, he clarified: “All doctors are trained to receive a child and not leave it adrift.”
“Stay calm because I am going to take the necessary measures,” the official concluded.
