"Work is actually taking place involving the department of gynecology and obstetrics, the department of pediatrics and the management of the Maputo Central Hospital. The study is being carried out because it is a case that requires the involvement of all these sectors, but also of the Ministry [of Health] itself", said Justino Madeira, spokesman for the Emergency Services of the Socorros Bank of the Central Hospital of Maputo, quoted this Monday by the newspaper O País.
The newborn daughter of Angolan whistleblower 'Man-Genas' died on 7 April, two days after her mother, who is also in the custody of the authorities, gave birth at the Maputo Central Hospital, the country's main health facility.
According to Justino Madeira, the water broke five days before the wife of 'Man-Genas' was taken to the hospital by the authorities for childbirth, creating a risk for the child and for the mother herself.
"In this particular case, it was because the water broke five days before giving birth and, often, when there is a premature rupture of membranes, there is a risk that occurs of having maternal complications as well as fetal ones [...] She was already in pain. Unfortunately, she ended up having this premature rupture of the bag. This is already a risk because there is a possibility of infection for the mother and also for the fetus", explained the spokesman for the HCM.
The Mozambican Network of Human Rights Defenders this Monday asked for an inquiry into the baby's death, accusing the authorities of "negligence" for not allowing the woman to have prenatal care.
"We can say that there was negligence on the part of our State in the first place. In our conversations with the hospital, the doctors said that the condition in which she arrived at the hospital did not give the baby much chance of life", Adriano Nuvunga told Lusa, president of the Mozambican Network of Human Rights Defenders.
Last month, a group of deputies from the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) said at a press conference that 'Man-Genas' "fears of food poisoning".
"The 'Man-Genas' fears he may be the victim of food poisoning. His wife, who is pregnant, denounces having been denied medical care for more than a month," said Olívio Quilumbo, who headed a UNITA parliamentary delegation, who visited Maputo, between the 21st and 26th of March.
Man-Genas gained notoriety for using the YouTube channel to make several reports about alleged drug trafficking in Angola, with the alleged involvement of political elites and authorities.
The allegations led a parliamentary commission to question the Minister of the Interior, Eugénio César Laborinho, who rejected any involvement of high-ranking security forces.
