Doctors at Malualkon Hospital in Northern Bahr el Ghazal’s Aweil East County have said two new mothers died due to blood loss and another succumbed to high blood pressure between 19 and 20 July.
Athieng Bol Angok, 18, delivered a set of twins at home and was referred to the Malualkon Hospital where she died of bleeding despite the doctors trying to save her on 19 July.
Meanwhile, Ajak Noon Ateny, 23, and Adut Akec passed away on 20 July while in the process of being referred to Aweil Civil Hospital where Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) provides antenatal services.
Kur Bol, the director of Malualkon Hospital, while speaking to Radio Tamazuj Friday, confirmed that two of the new mothers died of bleeding and blamed the local population for not donating blood.
“It is the most common reason for the death of mothers. The two mothers have died due to bleeding and the third one died of blood pressure,” Bol said.
“We sometimes talk to our communities to donate blood voluntarily but no one accepts to do so because some people say you can die when donating blood,” he added.
The Aweil East County health director, Dr. Riing Yak, also confirmed the deaths.
“Yesterday (Thursday), I talked to the Malualkon Hospital director and he informed me about this development that expectant mothers have passed on,” he said. “Two died on their way from home to the hospital and the other died at the hospital and the reasons are related to delivery problems.”