Eight employees of the Chimoio Maternity Hospital have been suspended following the death of a mother and baby due to alleged negligence

Eight employees of the Chimoio Provincial Hospital (HPC), in Manica, have been preventively suspended on suspicion of medical negligence that allegedly caused the death of a woman in labor and her newborn. The case, which occurred days ago, came to light through an Open Letter from the victim's husband to the President of the Republic, widely shared on social media.

According to the widower's account, as reported by the newspaper Domingo, his wife was admitted to the health unit around 4 PM on Sunday the 5th, already in labor. However, according to the complaint, the patient spent hours in intense pain without receiving proper care. It was only around midnight on Monday the 6th that the deaths were confirmed—both of the mother and the baby.

Given the public outcry generated by the case, the director of HPC, Marília de Morais Pugas, confirmed this morning that the suspensions were decided immediately after the public complaint. She further explained that an inspection and investigation team has been created to rigorously ascertain the circumstances of the tragedy.

Meanwhile, the case is already in the hands of the National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC), which, according to the official, already has the autopsy results. Therefore, it is expected that the conclusions of the judicial authorities will determine the final responsibilities.