Trial of midwives in the "Astou Sokhna" case: the drama of maternal mortality in Senegal
Senegalese demonstrators marched on April 15 in Louga to demand justice for Astou Sokhna, a young pregnant woman who died in hospital.
© Théa Ollivier/RFI
Text by: Charlotte Idrac Follow
4 mins
Resumption this Thursday, May 5, 2022 of the trial of six midwives in Louga, following a postponement of the hearing on April 27.
They are prosecuted for "failure to assist a person in danger" after the death in childbirth at the regional hospital of a young woman in her thirties: Astou Sokhna, nine months pregnant, who died in the maternity ward. beginning of April with her baby, after long hours of suffering.
His family denounces
medical “
negligence ”.
A drama that aroused enormous emotion in the country, and released the word on the mortality of women in the context of their pregnancy or childbirth.
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From our special correspondent in Louga
,
"
There are thousands of Astou Sokhna in Senegal
", "
this affair is only the tip of the iceberg
", affirms a member of the citizen collective called Patients in danger, created after the death of the young woman in Luga.
Several weeks after the start of the controversy, Astou Sokhna's family, in particular her husband Modou Mboup, and her mother, Maïmouna Ba, "
have not yet had time to mourn
", says one of their lawyers, Maître Patrick Kabou.
Petition, demonstrations, avalanche of testimonies on similar cases or complications for pregnant women, especially in rural areas, Aïda Mbaye, of the Association of Senegalese Jurists, stepped up to the plate when the case gained momentum “
Senegal's health system seems to have a problem with motherhood, and more generally with women
,” she says angrily.
"
We do not hear this kind of problem in other health services: poor reception, or negligence leading to death.
It is time for this to stop.
We not only condemn what happened in the Astou Sokhna case, we fight the health system in terms of pregnancy, maternity, care for women in this country.
We ask to go beyond disciplinary measures, with penal sanctions
.
»
Prosecuted midwives “
feel victims
”
Six midwives from the Louga hospital are therefore being prosecuted in this case.
Four of them are under custody, two others on bail.
But in their defence, they cannot be held responsible for the death of Astou Sokhna.
"
They do not understand
", the facts of which they are accused, "
they feel victims
", affirms their master lawyer Abou Abdoul Daff.
For him, "
it is not acceptable to think that there would be no assistance to a person in danger in a health structure, once the person has been received, they have been installed, a diagnosis has been made, and the protocol followed.
They did everything they could.
They even ask us the question: “Can we avoid death?”
".
According to the lawyer, “
this puts back on the table the question of the obligation of means or results.
This has started to spread in the country: Every time there is a death in a health structure, people talk about non-assistance or negligence, it is not possible!
“, he concludes.
Coincidence:
the trial is being held on May 5
, International Day of the Midwife.
The National Association of State Midwives of Senegal is mobilized to support its colleagues.
According to its president, they should not be “
lambs of sacrifice
”.
Several unions of health professionals have launched a new strike slogan to show their solidarity.
For the government, "
do not generalize
"
On the side of the authorities, the Minister of Health had reported on April 14 of an “
avoidable maternal death
”.
In front of the press Thursday, April 28, Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr called not to generalize.
"
In this case, at the time of the patient's care, there was no systemic dysfunction at the level of the health service point
", assured the Minister, who highlighted the progress made in these last years.
"
We must avoid that the tree of non-quality hides the forest of performance
", he hammered.
On the maternal mortality indicator in Senegal, Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr indicates that the rate was 392 deaths per 100,000 live births four years ago, 236 deaths two years ago, and "
currently, we are about 156 deaths per 100,000 live births.
We are the first in UEMOA
”, insisted the Minister of Health, while acknowledging that there were “
things to do
”.
Efforts in particular to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) set by the UN: less than 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.
► To read also: Senegal: emotion after the death of a pregnant woman at Louga hospital
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