(Thank you Cassandra for sending this story)
From the Washington Post:
A Mother's Final Look at Life: In Impoverished Sierra Leone, Childbirth Carries Deadly Odds
Maternal mortality in Sierra Leone is one of the highest in Africa. For those of you who have watched the film Blood Diamond, you might remember that the country has experienced extreme poverty, ethnic conflict, and a civil war, which was made worse by the diamond industry.
The story recounts some women's experiences with trying to deliver where access to modern technology, trained physicians and health care professionals, and to hospitals is severely limited or non-existent. Ophtamologists, and poorly trained midwives are the only personnel who can provide any obstetrics care to the women.
UNICEF, CARE, and Catholic Charities have collaborated to fund 54 public health clinics staffed by one nurse each, around the country. Patients are indeed expected to pay for the services they receive, the drugs, and supplies, at the tune of $10 per vaginal delivery, and $70 for C-section. The article notes that:
Patients must pay for all the drugs and medical supplies used in the hospital, in addition to fees for delivery -- about $10 for a regular deliver, and $70 or more for a C-section. Some operations are delayed while husbands run out to buy rubber gloves for the surgeon.
Moreover, the clinics are not open 24 hours per day, so that when women go into labor, they must wait for the clinic to open. This makes complications all the more dangerous for the women and their babies.
"I'm worried about how I am going to pay this bill," said Barrie, 32, who said he earns less than $100 a month making jewelry in a local market.
This is another one of those examples where structural barriers directly impact women's health, and can, in extreme cases, be fatal.
The article has a very touching slideshow, which you can view by clicking on this link.
Here is the video that accompanies the article.
0 comments:
Post a Comment