A pregnant woman has reportedly died while in labour at the Mother and Child Hospital in Kasoa after she was allegedly denied a caesarean section due to the unavailability of beds in the recovery ward.
The deceased, identified as Opoku Abigail, was initially receiving care at a private health facility but was referred to the hospital after experiencing prolonged labour, according to her family.
Relatives say that upon arrival, both the patient and her family requested a caesarean section, but hospital staff declined, citing the lack of available beds in the ward.
The family alleges that Abigail remained at the facility for nearly 36 hours without receiving the requested surgical intervention, and she died on Sunday, April 26, with the baby still in her womb.
They further claim that the incident reflects a pattern of similar cases at the hospital.
Speaking to Citi News, a sister of the deceased called for a thorough review of the hospital’s operations, insisting that her relative’s life could have been saved if the procedure had been carried out.
“Before she was referred, we were told to allow for a cesarean surgery to save both the baby and the mother. But when we told the nurses at the hospital, they said the recovery ward was full, so they couldn’t perform the surgery,” she said.
She added that despite arriving at the hospital between 2:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m., the patient was left in severe pain without receiving the necessary medical attention.
“They told us she would deliver, but she was left in pain. Even when she personally requested the surgery, they didn’t attend to her,” she alleged.
