New Zealand – An expecting mother was told to “shut up” by a doctor who did not believe she was in labour, resulting in the newborn baby getting pushed out of the womb and fatally landing on the floor.
Limna Polly, 35, is traumatized by the sound of her baby boy dropping onto the hospital floor due to Auckland City Hospital’s medical staff not assisting her while giving birth.
Ms Limna was at week 22 of her pregnancy last year when she began feeling abdominal pain followed by severe bleeding, reported the New Zealand Herald.
However, while she was at the hospital’s maternity ward for three hours, knowing she was about to deliver her baby, none of the medical staff assisted her.
Instead, Ms Limna was told to “shut up” by a doctor.
According to medical records, Ms Limna “began screaming and involuntarily pushed – both baby and placenta – baby landed on the floor.”
The mother shared that it was too late to save the newborn after the fall, and he took his last breath 90 minutes later.
The devastated family named their lost child Siddhartha after the Buddha.
Despite the incident happening over a year ago, Ms Limna revealed that she is still haunted by the sound of her baby landing on the floor.
“I felt like they didn’t even want to touch me because of the colour of my skin,” said Ms Limna.
The parents, who are New Zealand citizens, believe racism is why their son didn’t survive, reported NZ Herald.
Meanwhile, the Auckland District Health Board (DHB) did not deny any part of the family’s complaint, although noted that it “didn’t meet the criteria” to be reported to the independent body Health Quality & Safety Commission.
Auckland DHB said that “no issues were identified with the medical care,” hence the baby’s death was not referred to the coroner for investigation.
“The situation as a whole absolutely should have been reported higher up, and the fact that it wasn’t sounds to me like the DHB are trying to sweep it under the rug,” said patient advocate and Mothers Matter founder Chloe Wright on Jun 20.
“To be told to shut up while she’s screaming in pain disturbed me deeply. That doctor needs to be named and held to account,” said Ms Wright.
Auckland DHB declined to comment on Ms Wright’s statement, adding they were “very sorry for (the family’s) personal experience of our care.”
Regarding discrimination, the board acknowledged there was work to do in that aspect to provide “equitable care to all those who come through our women’s health services”.
It was reported that the Health and Disability Commission (HDC), the country’s health watchdog, had received the family’s complaint in Jan 2021. Yet, the situation is still under assessment; whether the circumstances leading to the tragic death will be investigated. /TISG
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