MP for Th. Guraidhoo Constituency and Vice President of PPM Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon calls on the UNICEF and WHO Maldives to investigate the recent spike in prenatal death to prevent further negligence.
This comes as reports of another neonatal death emerged from HA. Baarah yesterday as the number of prenatal deaths since April has now reached five.
In a tweet, the opposition MP said that the Maldives has maintained a low infant mortality rate (8.8/1000 live births) for decades. Ghassan said that five prenatal deaths in two months raises much concern.
He went on to say that administrative red tape must not compromise safety nor risk lives. He called on the UNICEF and world health body WHO to investigate the matter further to prevent further negligence.
Meanwhile, the government said today that it was closely monitoring the cases of prenatal deaths in the country.
An official from the Ministry of Health said the ministry would regulate these cases and would be taking note of such incidents.
In the case of the prenatal death in Baarah, the family of the deceased infant accuses that the child died because the mother did not receive timely and vital medical attention because of the restriction placed due to Covid-19 pandemic.
With the Covid-19 crisis, several vulnerabilities in the country’s healthcare system have emerged and this has mostly affected pregnant women. The ban on travel between the islands has left many pregnant women unable to access timely medical treatment, as most islands do not offer antenatal care and services.
