The death of a newborn baby at a hospital in Serbia has created widespread outrage. The incident allegedly occurred when a doctor jumped on a pregnant woman’s stomach during her labor.
Reports from Mail Online state that a Roma woman accused her gynaecologist of intentionally jumping on her stomach and using derogatory language about her ethnicity while she was in labor. Tragically, her newborn later passed away.
The doctor in question, located in the northwestern town of Sremska Mitrovica, has been arrested on charges of endangering a person’s health, as confirmed by the police, and is currently in custody.
As a response to the outcry, the board of directors of the town’s General Hospital has approved new measures. These measures will now allow women to appoint one companion of their choice to accompany them during childbirth, provided they pass standard medical checks.
However, the victim has expressed her frustration over the post-mortem report, which simply cited ‘violent childbirth’ as the cause of her baby’s death.
Following the incident, numerous similar testimonies of abuse during gynaecological procedures and allegations of medical staff assaulting patients in Serbia have emerged on social media.
Activists have highlighted that women in the region have been subjected to abusive medical treatment for many years, with such issues often being taboo for discussion.
Throughout Serbia and the Balkans, a combination of patriarchal values and a weak legal system has enabled various forms of violence against women to go unchecked.
An advocacy group called Kreni-Promeni has reported collecting over 190,000 signatures in a petition that aims to bring reforms allowing pregnant women to have a supportive partner with them during childbirth.
The petition was recently submitted to the Serbian health ministry.
‘This is a plea to protect all future mothers, creating a safer and less stressful environment for them to welcome their babies into the world,’ stated Marina Pavlic, the executive director of Kreni-Promeni.
Reacting to the news of the case, Minister of Health Danica Grujičić emphasized, “Obstetric violence is unacceptable. We must provide special attention and care to pregnant women and women in labor. We will focus on further educating our colleagues and ensuring the protection of mothers and pregnant women in every possible way.”
However, Grujičić also cautioned against unfairly discrediting all doctors.