The death of this woman, who had vainly awaited a cesarean at the Luga hospital, had aroused a wave of indignation against the deficiencies of the health system.
Le Monde
Three midwives were sentenced by a Senegalese court on Wednesday, May 11, six months suspended prison sentence for “non-assistance to person in danger”, after the death in a public hospital of a pregnant woman having Vainly awaited in very large suffering a cesarean and whose tragic fate has turned the country upset. Three other midwives, also tried by this court of Louga (North), were released. This drama had aroused on social networks a wave of indignation against the deficiencies of the public health system in Senegal and had caused reactions to the highest level of the State.
According to the local press, Astou Sokhna, married and 9 months pregnant, died at Luga hospital on 1 er April after what the journalists presented as a long agony and a denial of care. The young woman, who was 34 years old, according to a civil party lawyer, had waited for about twenty hours the cesarean she demanded. The staff would have refused his request, arguing that his operation was not planned, and would have threatened to chase her if she insisted.
On Wednesday morning, the judgment was pronounced in the presence of the six defendants and numerous health agents who came to support their colleagues prosecuted, AFP journalists have noted. The three convicted women were on duty at night when Astou Sokhna was admitted to the hospital, said one of their lawyers, Abou Abdou Daff. The other three were on duty during the day. During the trial, on April 27, the prosecution had requested a year in prison, one month of which was firm, against four of the six defendants, and releases it for the other two.
“We do not dispute, although we have a bruised heart, but we were seriously expecting another [judgment],” said the husband of M me sokhna, Modou Mboup, present In the courtroom at the time of the verdict: “Personally, I will stop there. The lawyers [of the civil party] will see if they will continue the procedure.”
a infant found Living in the morgue
“We have highlighted what all the Senegalese deplore in hospitals. It is a victory. If we remain their arms crossed, there could be other Astou Sokhna,” added Mr. Mboup, in Allusion to the accusations of “neglect” targeting medical staff in Senegal. He said his deceased wife respected his meetings, ultrasound, analyzes “. The night of the drama, “I brought it to 9:30 am to the hospital,” he testified: “Apart from the infusion, I have not seen that he was administered something else until On his death, at 5 am. If they [the midwives] had done what they had to do, maybe it would not have happened like that. “
A civil party lawyer, Ameth Moussa Sall, told AFP not to be “disappointed”. “The objective of the civil party was not to have firm prison sentence. What we wanted, and the court followed us was a declaration of guilt.” He said he had a new one on Wednesday Complaint targeting the six midwives, a gynecologist from the Luga hospital and the management of the establishment, as well as the State of Senegal, for “homicide and false and use of false”.
Faced with the outcry caused by the death of M Me Sokhna, President Macky Sall had published a message of condolences and given to determine the responsibilities. The Minister of Health, Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr, had recognized on April 14 than with more vigilance, the death of this woman could have been avoided. The hospital director has been revoked and replaced since.
Another case in a public hospital has recently scandalized. In Kaolack (center), an infant declared dead by a nurse, Friday May 6, then deposited in the morgue, was then found alive by his father a few minutes later, before finally died during the day, according to the local press. The prosecution announced Sunday that it had opened an investigation. The nurse was referred on Wednesday at the prosecution after four days of police custody.