Racism in Mexico: Health centre makes Indian women gives birth outside on the grass
TO Mexico, where Mexican paper La Razon says Irma Lopez, 29, was forced to give birth on the lawn in front of a medical centre in Oaxaca, Mexico, which had refused to admit her.
Mrs Lopez is an indigenous Mexican Mazatec. She does not speak Spanish. That could be relevant. The accusation is that racism lay at the root of her treatment bar. A nurse told her Mrs Lopez was not ready to give birth. She should go away and wait. Was that just wrong? Or was something more sinister behind the nurse’s advice?
One hour later, Mrs Lopez gave birth as her husband begged staff to admit her. A passer by took the photo you can see above and below.
A spokeswoman for Mexico’s National Network for Sexual and Reproductive Rights says:
“The photo is giving visibility to a wider structural problem that occurs within indigenous communities. Women are not receiving proper care. They are not being offered quality health services, not even a humane treatment.”
It looks bad:
Dr. Adrian Cruz has been suspended from his post as director of the Rural Health Center in San Felipe Jalapa de Diaz.
Mrs Lopez was allowed in the clinic after she gave birth, but was released the same day with prescriptions for medication.
Back in July, another Indian woman also give birth on the lawn. Both children are fine. Which makes us wonder if the shock in this story is not the refusal and the alleged racism but the picture of a newborn child born in public? Such things are usually hidden away…
Posted: 10th, October 2013 | In: Reviews Comment (1) | TrackBack | Permalink
