Dr. Cornelio Rodriguez resigned last week from his post as director of the Regional University Hospital Jaime Mota in Barahona in the face of widespread charges of inefficiency in the management of the hospital. Dr. Rodriguez argues that the lack of equipment and supplies were the main causes of much of the deficiencies, including the deaths of 43 newborn children in the first four months of 2018. The doctor was also accused of firing many persons in order to make way for some of his collaborators. The letter of resignation was sent to the Executive director of the National Health Service (SNS), Chanel Rosa Chupany.
Rodriguez had been appointed director of the hospital in Barahona last June by the former Minister of Public Health, Altagracia Guzman Marcelino and the former director of the SNS, Nelson Rodriguez Monegro.
Besides the 43 fatalities early last year, there were another 17 newborn fatalities between September and October at the Jaime Sanches Maternity Hospital that is part of the Regional University Hospital.
As reported the “massive” firings of personnel led to backlash from some leading PLD member.
Patients called the hospital “a slaughterhouse” because of the lack of equipment and basic supplies such as material for casts and sutures. Back in May the Dominican Medical College cited the serious lack of personnel as well as basic supplies such as oxygen.
In the light of the situation in Barahona, the recently released data on the mortality rates of infants and their birthmothers was hardly encouraging. The conclusion is that the death rates have not gone down. Barahona province serves thousands of Haitian women that cross the border to seek free services at Dominican public hospitals.
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Diario Libre
El Caribe
14 January 2019
