Seven babies were stillborn at Harare
Central Hospital in Zimbabwe on Monday night after urgent treatment was delayed
because of staffing issues, two doctors have confirmed to the BBC.
Nurses are on strike nationwide because of
a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other concerns, and the
maternity wards were overwhelmed.
One doctor said Monday's deaths were "the
tip of the iceberg". The deaths at Harare Hospital first were first
published by Dr Peter Magombeyi, who tweeted, "We have been robbed of our
future, including our unborn babies. Please stop the looting."
Two doctors with direct knowledge of the
situation at Harare Central Hospital confirmed to the BBC that on Monday night
eight Caesarean section operations were performed. Seven of the babies were
stillborn.
"There was very, very late
intervention," said one doctor, speaking on condition of anonymity because
he did not have official permission to talk to the media.
"Two of the mothers had ruptured
uteruses and needed early operations. The other operations were done because of
obstructed labour, but were not done on time so the babies died, stuck in their
mothers' pelvises."
The doctor described "dire"
scenes at Harare's two main state hospitals, with only a handful of nurses and
doctors at work because of a strike.
Many of the capital's smaller clinics have
also been affected, or closed, by industrial action which began in June,
prompting many pregnant women to come to Harare Hospital, overwhelming the
maternity ward.
"These are not isolated incidents.
This is repeated every day and all we can do is watch them die. This is torture
for the families, and for the junior doctors," said a second doctor.
The doctors spoke of a serious shortage of
PPE equipment as well as drugs to treat eclampsia, and blood supplies needed to
treat haemorrhages during births.
"There is a skeleton nursing staff -
mostly senior matrons who cannot go on strike. But they're not able to
cope," said the first doctor.
"Doctors are trying, but they're very
tired. And junior doctors are not experienced in terms of identifying
complications [during pregnancy]."
In a statement, Zimbabwe's Society of
Obstetricians and Gynaecologists described the situation in hospitals as
"grave," and "beyond dire".
"Our women are suffering and we believe
that all stakeholders, the government, medical practitioners, civil society and
individuals must act to save the voiceless mothers and babies."
There are rising tensions in Zimbabwe,
with hyperinflation strangling the economy, and protests against Zanu-PF, the
party that has run the country since independence, planned for Friday. BBC
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