Another tragedy at a maternity hospital. Stillborn baby sparks outrage
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23 November
6455Reports of negligence at maternity hospitals in Uzbekistan continue to surface. A woman who sought care at Maternity Hospital No. 7 in Tashkent’s Chilanzor district shared her ordeal with QALAMPIR.UZ, recounting how her pleas for help went unanswered despite her critical condition.
The incident began on November 19 when the woman's water broke. Her family rushed her to the hospital, but medical staff reportedly failed to provide immediate care. "When we asked them to help, they berated us, saying we were panicking unnecessarily," said the woman’s sister-in-law. "Despite her water breaking, they kept her in the hospital for three days without intervention. We begged for a cesarean section, but they ignored us."
"The woman had been under consistent medical supervision before this incident, with no signs of complications in the baby. Even during ultrasound examinations at the hospital, doctors reassured the family that both mother and baby were healthy. However, the lack of timely intervention led to the stillbirth," relatives stated.
The woman claimed she suspected something was wrong based on the doctors’ behavior.
"Before taking me to the delivery room on November 22, they appeared uneasy. They reassured me that everything was fine but later admitted my baby had died," she said. She also alleged that priority treatment was given to patients who had made prior arrangements with specific doctors.
The deputy chief physician of Maternity Hospital No. 7 refuted allegations of negligence, stating that the health of all patients is monitored closely.
"The baby’s and mother’s heartbeats are checked every half hour," the deputy chief explained. "In this case, there were no alarming signs until delivery approached. When labor did not start naturally, we followed clinical protocols."
According to the physician, if labor does not begin naturally after premature membrane rupture, alternative delivery methods are considered within a day. However, the woman’s family claimed doctors waited over 24 hours, which they believe caused the baby’s death.
The hospital’s chief physician, Zafarjon Ilhomov, defended the decision not to perform a cesarean section, citing medical guidelines.
The stillborn baby was examined at City Children's Clinical Hospital No. 5. Initial pathology reports indicated the baby had been dehydrated for 40 hours, leading to:
- Encephalomalacia (softening of the brain) due to hypoxia;
- Bullous emphysema in the lungs following resuscitation attempts;
- Accumulated blood in venous vessels and organ dystrophy;
- Dark liquid blood in the heart and large vessels;
- Small hemorrhages in the internal organs’ mucous and serous membranes.
Further analyses of tissue samples are underway to confirm the exact cause of death.
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