Senegal: the death of a pregnant woman raises questions about the health system
The death of a young pregnant woman raises many questions about the Senegalese health system.
(illustrative image) © RFI/ Ophélie LAHCCEN
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
Astou Sokhna, a 9-month pregnant young woman, died at Louga hospital (about 200 km north of Dakar).
His family denounces "
negligence
", and took legal action.
Facing the press this Thursday, April 14, the Minister of Health spoke of an “
avoidable maternal death
”.
The director of the hospital was removed from his post on Wednesday.
For its part, a citizen collective denounces “
a structural problem
” of the health system.
Advertisement
Read more
With our correspondent in Dakar,
Charlotte Idrac
The death of Astou Sokhna could therefore have been avoided, according to the Minister of Health, through "
a good risk assessment and optimal monitoring during his stay in the maternity ward
".
But for Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr, this "
painful
" situation "
does not reflect the current state of the health system
", which has known, he says, "
significant progress
" in recent years, in particular with the drop in maternal mortality. .
That said, there are still "
efforts to be made to humanize the country's health structures
", adds the Minister, "
by emphasizing the care of patients
".
At the very moment when the press conference was held at the Ministry of Health, the citizen collective "Patients in danger" - just created - also faced journalists, to ask for light on this affair, but also to denounce generalized dysfunctions. in health structures.
Reception, infrastructure, equipment, follow-up… “
There are millions of Astou Sokhna in Senegal
” according to the collective, which refuses “
sprinkling
” measures.
After the planned march in Louga tomorrow, a sit-in is announced in Dakar on April 23.
Ghaëls Babacar Mbaye is spokesperson for “Patients in danger”.
She returns to the extent of this affair and the expectations of the collective.
It is a situation that prompted Senegalese citizens to set up this collective last Tuesday in order to launch a digital campaign on social networks which ultimately generated a lot of testimonies.
We see that almost all Senegalese have been victims of medical negligence or health personnel who cannot live up to their expectations.
Ghaëls Babacar Mbaye, spokesperson for “Patients in Danger”
Charlotte Idrac
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
google-play-badge_FR
Senegal
Company