press kit women and babies at risk in venezuela: …...1 press kit women and babies at risk in...

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PresskitWomenandBabiesatRiskinVenezuela:TheMaternidadConcepciónPalaciosCrisisinFiguresandStoriesFigures:ItisimportanttopointoutthattherearenoofficialfiguresfromtheVenezuelangovernment.Thislackofaccesstofiguresandinformationisinitselfaviolationofrights,sinceaccesstoinformationisafundamentalrightofcitizens.Thefiguresbelowareestimatesgatheredbytheorganizationsduringtheinvestigationcarriedoutinpreparationforourrequestforprecautionarymeasures.• BetweenJanuaryandOctober2018,265newbornbabiesdiedatMaternidadConcepción

Palaciosduetolackofaccesstohealthcareservices.• In2018,15womendiedatMaternidadConcepciónPalaciosfromcomplicationsduring

childbirth.• Inlate2017,healthcarepersonnelreportedthat32womencontractedinfectionsatthe

hospitalinonemonth.• MaternidadConcepciónPalaciosusedtotendto1200womenpermonth,butitiscurrently

operatingathalfcapacityduetolackofpermanentmedicalstaff,particularlyanesthesiologists.Manymorewomenareatriskaswell,asotherhealthcarefacilitiesthroughoutthecountryarefacingsimilarsituations.

• MaternaldeathsinVenezuelaincreasedby65%between2015and2016,accordingtothemostrecentfiguresreleasedbythegovernment.

IncreaseinMaternalDeathsIn2018,15womendiedduetothecurrentinadequatestateofthehospital.Thesedeathswerepreventable,butmedicalstafflackstheresourcesnecessarytoassistwomenandsavetheirlives.Patientsatthehospitalaresufferingcomplicationsbeforegivingbirth,includinginfections,highbloodpressure,andhemorrhaging,thetopthreecausesofmaternaldeath.Therearenoantibioticsatthehospital,andpatientscannotaffordtopurchasetheirown.Similarly,therearenobloodpressuremedications.Andwomensufferingfrommalnutritionandanemiacandieinsecondsfromhemorrhaging.EmergencyRoomandDeliveryRoomsinPoorConditionInlate2017,medicalstaffatMaternidadConcepciónPalaciospubliclyreportedthat32womencontractedinfectionsatthehospitalinonemonth.Duetothelackofwater,biologicalmaterial

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gathersandsoonbecomesinfestedwithfliesandworms.Thisdangeroussituationhasbeenobservedonstretchersintheemergencyroomanddeliveryrooms.NoCareforComplicationsDuringChildbirthWhilelabormaytakeplacewithoutcomplications,thereisalwayssomerisk.MaternidadConcepciónPalaciosonlyadmitswomenwhoarealreadyinlabor.Ifapatient’splacentaisnotexpelled,orifshesuffersfromheavybleeding,thehospitalisnotequippedtoperformtheappropriateoperations.Italsohasashortageofanesthesiologistsandalackoffemininehygieneproductsandsterilizationequipment,soitmustdependonsupportfromotherhospitals.Ambulanceservicesareessentiallynonexistent.Thehospital’ssoleambulanceisbrokendownandhasbeenstrippedforparts,placingwomenandchildrenwhomustbetransferredtootherfacilitiesatrisk.MedicalPersonnelwiththeirHandsTiedAwomansufferingfromplacentaprevia,aconditioninwhichtheplacentaattachesnearthecervicalopening,wasbleedingandneededanemergencycaesareansection.DuetothelackofanesthesiologistsatMaternidadConcepciónPalacios,doctorswereforcedtoreferhertoanotherhealthcarefacility,wheresheeventuallydied.Thisincidentillustrateshowthelackofresourcesisaffectingtheworkofmedicalstaffandplacingwomenatriskofdyingfrompreventablecauses.Medicalprofessionalsdideverythingtheycouldtosaveherlife,butastheydidnotevenhavebasicsuppliessuchasgauze,theireffortswereinadequate.AHospitalwithoutBloodThehospital’sbloodbankhasseriousdeficiencies.Crammedintoasmallroominoneofthehospital’soldestandmostdilapidatedbuildings,itisseverelyunderstaffed.Theserviceisunavailablemostofthetime.Whendonationsareneeded,thehospitalmustasktheCapitalDistrict’smunicipalbloodbank.Thedifficultyingettingbloodtopatientswhoneedithasledtodeaths.Forexample,inAugust2018,apatientwhoneededahysterectomyafterhercaesareansectiondiedbecausethebloodsheneededtosurvivewasnotavailable.

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AbouttheorganizationsthatrequestedprecautionarymeasuresfortheMaternidadConcepciónPalacioshospitalinVenezuelabeforetheInter-AmericanCommissiononHumanRightsWomen’sLinkWorldwideisaninternationalhumanrightsorganizationthatusesthepowerofthelawtopromotesocialchangethatadvancestherightsofwomenandgirls,particularlythosewhofacemultipleformsofdiscrimination.Twitter:@womenslinkEquivalenciasenAcciónisacoalitionoffourVenezuelanhumanrightsorganizations:CEPAZ,FREYA,Avesa,andMujeresenLínea.Twitter:@EnEquivalenciaCEPAZisanon-profitorganizationthatpromotesandadvocatesfordemocraticvalues,humanrights,andacultureofpeaceinVenezuela.Twitter:@_CEPAZMujeresenLíneaisanNGOdedicatedtoresearchandactivismonissuesrelatedtoequality,women,andcommunication.Twitter:@EllasEnLineaAvesaisanNGOwith34yearsofexperienceadvocatingforsexualandreproductiverightsandwomen’srights.Twitter:@AVESA_ONG_VZLAFreyaisanadvocacyorganizationspecializinginthecomprehensivedevelopmentofprojectsandprogramstopromoteequalitybyempoweringwomenandsupportingpublicandprivateinitiativestopromoteequalityandequityinordertocreatemorejustandegalitariansocieties.Twitter:@FreyaCH