The director of the National Health Service (SNS), Dr. Mario Lama attributed to mothers not keeping up with the routine check-ups the rise in maternal mortality in the country.
46% of pregnant women stopped going to the doctor in public hospitals during 2020, thus abandoning the routine prenatal check-ups due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Lama told Listin Diario reporters. He said the percentage was even higher during the months of highest incidence of the virus.
He said the rise in Haitian mothers giving birth in Dominican emergency rooms is another reason. The Haitians arrive at the health centers with no medical history, and many suffering from anemia and other complications.
The SNS director highlighted that during 2020, 30,332 births to Haitian mothers and 382 to mothers of other nationalities, including Venezuelans, were registered in public hospitals, equivalent to 27% of the births in the country, which were 111,472.
He explained that 47% of the mortality registered last year corresponded to Haitian foreigners who arrived without medical history and many with previous medical conditions. He said that this has an impact on the mortality rate of the country since almost half of the deaths occur in this foreign population. He clarified that these deaths are not due to inadequate attention, but because of the complicated conditions in which the women arrive to the health centers.
He said the San Lorenzo de los Mina maternity hospital was dedicated to take care of mothers with Covid-19, causing a congestion at the Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia Maternity Hospital and the Hospital de la Mujer Dominicana.
Maternal mortality was up by almost 20% during 2020 nationwide.
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Listin Diario
4 February 2021