News & Politics - Baby dies while doctors fight over delivery

**sunnykerr** · 02-25-2010, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Brazil baby dies 'as doctors fight'

A baby girl died following an alleged fight between doctors in a Brazilian hospital delivery room, reports say, prompting an investigation.

The doctors had to be removed by security staff after clashing over who should be responsible for the delivery, local media reported.

Another doctor was eventually able to help the 32-year-old woman but her baby was born dead, the reports said.

The incident took place in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul.

The two doctors have since been sacked, the Agencia Estado news agency reported, and an investigation is being carried out by police and medical authorities.

The pregnant woman, Gislaine de Matos Rodrigues, was said to have asked the doctor who had been responsible for her pre-natal care to look after her during the birth.

But just after medication was given to induce the birth, another doctor arrived and was reported to have insisted that as he was on duty he should be responsible for the procedure.

'Screaming'

Reports say the two men at first started to argue, and then to fight.

"It was a big fight. They ended up rolling around on the floor and my wife was screaming for them to stop," said the woman's husband, Gilberto Melo Cabreira, quoted by the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper.

He said security staff had to be called to remove the doctors.

According to Brazilian media, another member of staff was eventually able to help in an emergency caesarean section 90 minutes later, but the baby girl was born dead.

A death certificate is said to attribute the cause to a lack of oxygen, but a full post-mortem examination has yet to be completed.

BBC News - Brazil baby dies 'as doctors fight'

Now, obviously, the story doesn't say that the doctors caused the little girl's death. Plenty of women have given birth without medical assistance.

But to know that something was clearly, clearly wrong and that the assistance needed was in the same room, but too busy having their little ego trips... It's appalling.

vc318 · 02-26-2010, 05:28 PM

Man, I hope these doctors lose their license to practice - if they even have one after the way they behaved.

**sunnykerr** · 02-26-2010, 08:19 PM

I don't really know how the Brazilian system works for things like licenses... but you gotta figure that every medical "administrative body" out there allows the practitioners to commit some fairly grave mistakes before their licenses are revoked.

Assuming this is seen as an error in judgment, be it ever so grievous.


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