A 52-year-old woman in Pakistan suffered from a botched stillbirth delivery. She faced more risks when the medical practitioners left the baby’s head inside her womb.
In this article, you’ll read:
- Mum Suffers From a Botched Stillbirth Delivery
- The High Infant Mortality Rate in Pakistan
- Taking Legal Action After Botched C-Sections
Mum Suffers From a Botched Stillbirth Delivery
We understand if mums fear experiencing a stillbirth delivery. Losing a baby especially hurts when you need to deliver your lifeless child. Unfortunately, cases like this take a turn for the worst on some occasions.
A 52-year-old mum from Pakistan recently suffered from a botched stillbirth delivery. Heartbreakingly, the baby’s head was cut off and left inside her mother’s womb during surgery. The incident highlights the country’s lack of access to proper maternity care.
The failed operation happened in the second week of June at a charity hospital in the Tharparkar district. At that time, the woman only expected to face the tragic surgery of delivering her lifeless baby. In addition, the infant was in a breech or bottom-down position.
Despite the absence of a gynaecologist, the attending practitioners proceeded with the operation. During the time of delivery, they accidentally separated the baby’s torso from its head. Because of this, the infant’s head remained inside the mother’s uterus.
A top health official from Sindh province stated, “The head got stuck after delivering the torso because the delivery was done by inexperienced hands.”
This kind of incident does happen in different countries despite its rarity. However, this case raises awareness of the lack of medical advancements in Pakistan.
The Dangerous Effects of the Botched Stillbirth Surgery
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The mum’s life was at risk because of the failed delivery. Despite her horrible situation, she needed to transfer to another hospital 51 miles away. Her devastating ride to a different medical facility took hours. We can only imagine how she felt during that ride with her dead baby’s head in her womb.
Things get worse when her doctors learned that the new hospital was also unable to treat her. The mum had no choice but to endure another ride to a different hospital located 134 miles away.
Finally, the medical practitioners there successfully removed the baby’s decapitated head. According to the doctor who operated on her, conducting abdominal surgery saved the mum’s life. They needed to accomplish it because the uterus ruptured after the botched stillbirth surgery.
“The mother is now out of danger and is in recovery,” said Dr Greesh, a health officer in the Tharparkar district.
Dr Greesh is part of the official committee investigating the series of shocking medical failures in the country. This kind of medical malpractice endangers the life of women.
The High Infant Mortality Rate in Pakistan
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At present, Pakistan has the highest infant mortality rate in South Asia. They have reported 54 infant deaths per 1,000 live births.
According to UNICEF, Pakistan has a figure that is twice as high as the neighbouring country India. Additionally, the country is 10 times higher than developed nations when it comes to infant mortality rates.
In recent years, the infant mortality rate in Pakistan has been declining. The stats have shown improvements over the last few years.
Despite that, a marked disparity exists between its urban and rural areas. It is undeniable that there are still several poverty-stricken rural areas like Tharparker lagging far behind.
According to Muhammad Waqar Bhatti, a health journalist: “Specialised doctors are unavailable in the region. Women and their children keep dying.”
In areas like Tharparkar, they lack basic infrastructure and healthcare facilities. They do not have enough healthcare facilities and infrastructure to accommodate a 1.6 million population. Concerning this, only 16% of deliveries in the area were assisted by doctors, nurses, midwives, or other skilled birth attendants.
“Specialised doctors and gynaecologists don’t want to step foot in the region because of how underdeveloped it is,” the health journalist added.
Taking Legal Action After Botched C-Sections
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Even the most trusted professionals make mistakes when they face pressure. However, that is still no excuse for medical negligence.
Every mum, as well as their babies, deserve to experience the safest method of delivery and care. Concerning this, performing a risky and unnecessary C-section can endanger everyone. It is essential to make a doctor liable for malpractice in situations like this.
It might be a complicated process, but still, you have the right to fight back when you experience a birth injury. By keeping this in mind, you’re more aware of your legal rights.
Remember that factors like payment or time of day should never affect a baby’s birth. In case an injury affecting you and your child happens, you may contact a birth injury lawyer immediately.
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